Paul Tonko: “I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding, and I thank him for his leadership as chair of the Energy and…”

“I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding, and I thank him for his leadership as chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Certainly, as chair of the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, I understand the prioritization that we need to make as a House with climate change. We are doing it with this caucus, with the Democratic Caucus. We have languished without a policy or hearings in the committee for quite some time and, finally, the Democrats are showing their forcefulness. Global problems require global cooperation, and we accept this as a given when it comes to countless security, health, and economic challenges. And climate change will impact all of these areas, and more. But global climate action will not succeed without America at the table, leading by example. Other nations understand this, as do thousands of United States cities, businesses, universities, and nonprofit organizations. That is why the ``We Are Still In'' campaign was formed, and why its many members support this bill. The contributions of subnational actors can achieve two-thirds of our 2025 national commitment, but we need Federal action to fill the gap. President Trump has made it clear that he does not appreciate the previous administration's policies to achieve America's Paris target. Therefore, Mr. President, we have a very fair question of you. What is your plan?…”