On the recordMarch 10, 2014
as a member of the Senate Climate Action Task Force, I am very proud to join with all of our colleagues to talk about an action which is needed. Climate change is real. We have seen it in the overwhelming scientific evidence which is occurring today. It is not just about science. It is impacting all of us. We see the rise in asthma attacks. We see the impacts in my home State of Washington. I hear this concern from my constituents, and we know rising sea levels are threatening all of us. We see it in our rural communities where we are seeing drought. We are seeing it in our forests where the dry weather is turning our woods into kindling. We see it in our local fishing communities where ocean acidification is hindering our shellfish development. These impacts have enormous costs. They are devastating to our families and communities who are suffering from droughts, superstorms, and wildfires. But it is not just an environmental issue; it is not just a health issue. It is a budget issue. It is not just about rising temperatures; it is about rising costs. As chair of the Budget Committee, I can tell you this issue is a burden to our taxpayers. Federal disaster recovery spending alone has increased year after year as the number and size of weather-related disasters rise. These costs will continue if we don't act. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
