The historic Climate March in New York City is a big wake-up call for Congress, as more than 300,000 citizens demonstrated their support for action to avert the disastrous impacts of climate change on American families.
House Republicans have not only stymied congressional action to stop dangerous climate change by opposing every forward-thinking policy, but they have repeatedly tried to roll back the landmark Clean Air Act, which enabled President Obama to put forward an executive branch Climate Action Plan.
We have stopped over 100 anti-Clean Air Act riders in the last two Congresses alone, but the fight goes on.
I want to make sure the American people know they may well see another full-throated attack on the Climate Action Plan and the Clean Air Act during the lame-duck session of Congress. I will call on them to weigh in against the climate deniers and destroyers.
At an EPW Committee hearing earlier this year, four former EPA administrators who served under Republican presidents, from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush, agreed that climate change requires action now and it should not be a partisan issue.
By continuing to deny the existence of climate change, congressional Republicans are also working against the efforts of the Pentagon to keep the American people safe. Earlier this year, one of our military leaders told Congress that climate change will be a catalyst for conflict.
And we just need to look out the window to see climate change impacts. Last month was the hottest August on record since record-keeping began in 1880.
It is time for Congress to wake up to climate change. It is clear that the climate marchers and all the strong voices for action must stay involved and do the hard work necessary to protect public health and safety. By working together, we can move forward to take the action needed to stop dangerous climate change.
Follow the EPW Chair Boxer Twitter account here.