Protecting Our Environment & Growing The Green Economy
We have a solemn obligation to protect our environment and to take a sustainable approach to managing our natural resources. As the former president of a solar technology company, I know firsthand that the preservation of our air, water, and wildlife for future generations is not only a moral imperative, but also an economic necessity. I’m dedicated to a comprehensive approach to protecting our environment and supporting our economy at every level.
In our region, I’ve consistently supported efforts to remove pollution from the Great Lakes and prevent future degradation to our air and water. I’m opposed to any effort to weaken the Environmental Protection Agency and roll back the protections in the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.
I’ve also been outspoken in my defense of the Region 5 Environmental Protection Agency office which is based in Chicago and oversees environmental protection in our region. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration considered abolishing the department, and firing all its environmental experts along the way. I joined with my colleagues and environmental advocates from the region to prevent this, and I’m glad to know the Region 5 office is still monitoring and addressing public health and environmental challenges in our area.
At the global level, President Trump’s most significant environmental policy was withdrawing our country from the commitments we made in the Paris Agreement on climate change. I believe the President’s decision was an enormous mistake, and I spoke out in support of staying in the Paris Agreement as an environmental and economic necessity for our country. That’s why the first legislation I introduced in Congress was a resolution calling for the US to stay in the Paris Agreement and to continue our environmental and economic leadership on the world stage instead of yielding it to China and other nations.
While the administration continues to roll back public health and environmental protections, I remain committed to developing the green economy and embracing its potential to create jobs and protect our environment.
More on Protecting Our Environment & Growing The Green Economy
SCHAUMBURG, IL – Congressman Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement following Monday’s report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the arrival of Category 4 Storm, Hurricane Michael:
SCHAUMBURG, IL – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement as FEMA fails to incorporate climate change impacts in its Risk MAP programs, flood maps, and other disaster planning systems:
WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to fund Energy and Water Development programs through FY2019. Among several important provisions, this legislation increases funding for the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) by 2.5% to $2.38 billion, and boosts funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) office by 3.7% to $366 million. In addition, this bill established the Solar Ready Vets Program, which prepares our nation’s skilled veterans for high-paying careers in the solar industry.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement as Hurricane Florence approaches the Atlantic Coast, just over a year after his September 11, 2017, letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Administrator Brock Long urging him to account for climate change impacts in the Risk MAP program and when drawing flood maps:
SCHAUMBURG, IL – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi held a forum on climate change in Schaumburg on Saturday, combining expert presentations with open discussion. The Congressman was joined by WGN Meteorologist Tom Skilling, Professor Don Wuebbles of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and climate researcher Doug Sisterson of Argonne National Laboratory. Each panelist presented compelling research on human-driven climate change before taking questions from the audience with the Congressman.
GLENDALE HEIGHTS, IL – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi was joined by The Home Depot’s Regional Vice President Richard Goodrich and Tanya Triche Dawood from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association for a press conference on the passage of the Ceiling Fan Energy Conservation Harmonization Act. This new, bipartisan law streamlines energy conservation regulations for ceiling fans and ceiling fan lighting kits, ensuring they’ll be implemented on the same date to the benefit of consumers, retailers, and our environment.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last night, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s bipartisan amendment passed as part of H.R. 8, The Water Resources Development Act of 2018, to strengthen the Army Corps of Engineers workforce. This amendment improves the capacity and preparedness of the Army Corps of Engineers workforce by analyzing challenges related to recruitment, retention, diversity, and on-the-job training.
SCHAUMBURG, IL — Original cosponsors Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Buddy Carter (R-GA), and G.K Butterfield (D-NC) hailed passage of the Senate version of their legislation, the Ceiling Fan Energy Conservation Harmonization Act. The law helps the environment by making it easier for consumers to purchase energy efficient ceiling fans. Statements from the cosponsors follow below.
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi today called on EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to make public the clients of EPA Deputy Associate Administrator of Public Affairs John Konkus, who is currently providing consulting services concurrent to his public official position. This is extremely troubling, even more so because Mr. Konkus’ responsibilities include overseeing hundreds of millions of federal grant dollars. In August, an EPA ethics lawyer noted that Mr.