FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPT. 19, 2016 — The hope for meaningful progress on climate change legislation in Congress took another step forward last week with the addition of four members to the bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus, bringing the total to 20. In keeping with the two-by-two “Noah’s Ark” approach to membership, two Republicans and two Democrats have joined the caucus. The new members are Jim Himes (D-CT), Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and Mark Amodei (R-NV).
The caucus was launched in February under the leadership of Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL). Citizens’ Climate Lobby Senior Congressional Liaison Jay Butera played a key role in getting the caucus off the ground following a Republican-sponsored resolution on climate change introduced last year by Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY). That resolution now has 15 GOP sponsors.
“It’s clear that members of Congress from both parties are tired of the partisan bickering, particularly on critical issues like climate change, and they want to take a more constructive approach to problem solving,” said Mark Reynolds, executive director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. “The bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus creates a safe place for members to speak and listen to one another rather than talking past each other.”
Caucus co-chair Rep. Curbelo said, “I am excited to welcome Congressman Zeldin (NY-01) and Congressman Amodei (NV-02) as the newest members of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus. Their membership signifies the fact that climate change is not a regional concern, but a national one, and I look forward to working together to ensure the protection of our environment, economy, infrastructure, and public safety.”
About joining the caucus, Rep. Zeldin said, “One of my top priorities in Congress has been to safeguard our environment. The bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus is focused on solutions to protect our natural resources, which is why I am proud to join as a member.”
New members who join the caucus come on board with a colleague from across the aisle. Republican Rep. Zeldin joined with Democratic Rep. Himes, who said, “I am pleased to partner with Rep. Lee Zeldin in joining the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus – a thoughtful group of Republicans and Democrats who support pragmatic, market-based solutions to climate change. This caucus represents a spirit of cooperation to which the rest of Congress should aspire. I look forward to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance clean energy, reduce emissions, and help preserve our world for generations to come.”
In a statement published by E&E News, new caucus member Rep. Bonamici said, “Finding solutions will require all of our creativity, collaboration, and courage — but one thing we don’t need is partisanship.”
Rep. Amodei added, “In order to legislate effectively, Washington must have a willingness to have frank and honest discussions on the issues that affect us all.”
