Press Releases

 WASHINGTON, DC—On Monday, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) denounced the U.S. Supreme Court case West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a Republican-led case challenging the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases and address the climate crisis. The baseless hearing comes on the same day the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a major new scientific report on the climate crisis, signaling an urgent warning that unless greenhouse gas emissions are quickly reduced, the impacts of climate change will overwhelm both nature and humanity’s ability to adapt. 

“It’s deeply troubling that on the same day the IPCC released a stunning, urgent warning to the world that we must act on climate change, the Supreme Court is hearing a case that would undermine our ability to reduce emissions. Even more troubling is the fact this case is even being heard at all. The environmental regulation in question no longer exists. In fact, it never even took effect. Yet the Supreme Court could permanently strip the EPA of its ability to regulate and achieve its basic mission of protecting our air, water, and earth from harm; a mandate clearly outlined in law by Congress. Simply put—West Virginia v. EPA could derail our climate goals and make our pledge to cut emissions 50 to 52 percent by 2030 nearly impossible. It’s critical that EPA retain the authority to cut pollution and protect Americans from dangerous greenhouse gases which are already wreaking havoc on all our communities,” said Pingree.

“As Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, which oversees funding for the EPA, I proudly fought for a 20% across-the-board funding increase for EPA this year,” Pingree continued. “In addition, my bill increases funding for climate and clean air work by more than $100 million and further confronts the climate crisis by expanding environmental enforcement efforts, creating a Civilian Climate Corps, and launching a renewed focus on land and water conservation. I am proud to support EPA’s work and look forward to seeing how these investments will make our communities healthier.”

Pingree is well-known as a leader for Congressional action on the looming climate crisis. She is an original cosponsor of the Green New Deal and was recently elected by her caucus to serve as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee where she has made climate change mitigation her top priority.

This month, Pingree hosted President Biden’s Administrator of the EPA, Michael S. Regan, on a tour of Saco’s Water Resource Recovery Department to highlight how Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding can help address the impacts of climate change in Maine. 

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