Special Guest Congressman Jared Huffman on on Congressional Climate Actions & Prospects
On January 20, MCL’s Climate Action Working Group hosted Congressman Jared Huffman, who discussed large Congressional climate gains in 2022 and the prospects for continued action now that control of the House of Representatives has changed hands.
Congressman Huffman highlighted the $370 billion in climate programs in the Inflation Reduction Act. “In the last two-year session of Congress, we did some big, transformative things.” Huffman said. “Not only to support zero emission of greenhouse gas, but to support workforce development and investment in the clean energy economy.
“Going back to the prior year,” he continued, “the bipartisan Infrastructure Act included the largest federal investment in public transit ever, money for rail, bike infrastructure, recreational trails, safe routes to schools. Investments in a national EV (electric vehicle) charging network, but also money to get EV charging infrastructure into every community.”
In the recent Omnibus Spending Act, Huffman said “I was able to get $2 million for EV charging expansion in San Rafael; $791,000 for EV infrastructure and equity in Novato; $650,000 for energy-efficient lighting at Golden Gate Village in Marin City.”
Watch the full discussion, including:
• Ways to protect and extend these gains in the Republican-controlled Congress.
• COP 27 climate summit frontline report, and how to pay ‘loss & damage’ costs.
• Congressman Huffman’s ‘Protecting Communities from Plastics Act.’
• Lessons from Marin for the upcoming Farm Bill, like carbon sequestration in soil.
• Overcoming issues with offshore wind, Highway 37, environmental justice and more.