Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) spoke on the House floor in opposition to anti-carbon solutions resolution H.Con.R. 199 and chided her Republican colleagues for refusing to help mitigate the threat that climate change poses to our health, ecosystem, and economy, especially in coastal states like Maine.

Transcript of Pingree’s floor speech is as follows:

I rise today in opposition to the rule and to the underlying bill, but as my colleague from Massachusetts said, “this isn’t really a bill. It’s a press release, it’s a love note to the fossil fuel industry.”
 
We should have an open rule on the floor for this resolution, so we can talk about the real issues around climate change. 
 
So we can talk about the effects of changing growing seasons and extreme weather on our farms and fishing communities.
 
So we can talk about the effects of sea level rise and ocean acidification on our coastal communities.
 
So we can talk about the impacts of changing climates on health and health care costs.
 
We are seeing all these problems in my home State of Maine, and in the Gulf of Maine in particular.
 
The Gulf of Maine is warming at a rate more than 90% faster than the rest of the world.
 
We are not sure what impact that will have on lobster, groundfish and future fisheries.
 
My colleagues, we are putting our heads in the sand if we just keep with the status quo…
 
if we keep supporting fossil fuels…
 
and if we keep preventing even the debate on the costs of carbon and on possible climate solutions.
 
I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule and the bill.