Dear Neighbor,

Earth Day is a call to action. So today,  I want to take the opportunity to give you an update on the work my team and I are doing to address the climate crisis and save our environment for generations to come.

As our nation begins to emerge from a deadly pandemic that has tragically killed more than half a million Americans, we must ensure that our recovery efforts prioritize preparedness to meet looming crises. Among future challenges, there may be none more existential than the climate crisis which will destroy our coasts, intensify deadly extreme weather events, and make the conditions ripe for future global pandemics.

Unfortunately, under the Trump administration, we squandered the most valuable commodity that exists in the fight against climate change: time. For four years, Donald Trump bullied climate scientists and silenced experts, while championing dirty energy sources. From expanding oil and gas drilling on public lands to shredding environmental protections and failing to crack down on polluters, the Trump administration not only failed to confront the climate crisis – it denied its existence while making the problem worse.

Thankfully, President Joe Biden is determined to undo this damage and restore America’s leadership in addressing this global challenge. With the stroke of a pen, President Biden directed the United States to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on day one of his new administration. He also instructed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore the Obama administration’s Clean Car standards and halted new Federal oil and gas leases on public lands and waters. Working together with Democratic majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate, I am confident that President Biden will once again elevate the United States as a world leader in developing and implementing solutions that lower emissions, strengthen climate resiliency, and advance clean energy technology.   

This renaissance of American leadership is particularly meaningful to me given how central combating climate change has been in my own public service career. As Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, I developed “Cool Counties,” Fairfax County’s first-ever comprehensive plan to reduce emissions and take action at the local level, which included launching an aggressive program to halt the elimination of the tree canopy in the county with a goal of increasing it to 45 percent by 2037.  Today, the canopy has reached 57 percent.

Under my leadership, Fairfax County added more than 1,500 acres of parkland and I’m proud that in 2021, nearly 1 out of every 10 acres in Fairfax is open space. One of my proudest achievements to this day is leading Fairfax County in establishing the 41-mile system of stream valleys and trail connection stretching across our county—the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail. Trails are economic drivers and deliver tremendous value to their communities. That is why in Congress I introduced legislation to complete and protect the 11-Congressionally designated trails across the country.

Upon entering Congress in 2009, I helped found the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) and after many years of work with my fellow co-chairs, helped build up SEEC into the largest environmental coalition in Congress. Through SEEC, I have led the call for sustainable infrastructure investment, expanding and extending clean energy tax policies, and strong pollution standards for automakers. SEEC also championed the appointment of our former colleague, Congresswoman Deb Haaland to be Secretary of the Interior and strongly supported the U.S. rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. Achieving this goal is not mere symbolism. In the Commonwealth of Virginia alone, one study estimated that meeting the Paris Climate goals could prevent 160,000 premature deaths, 128,000 emergency room visits and hospitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and more than 9.5 million lost workdays.  

As your Congressman, I’ve also worked to help individual households do their part to help lower emissions. For example, I led the fight to expand the DOE Weatherization Assistance Program funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and successfully secured $5 billion to weatherize 2 million homes. Our investments in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created nearly one million jobs and earned almost $2 billion for the taxpayers. I am also a cosponsor of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act to lower household power bills, particularly for low-income homes, while drastically decreasing our emissions from the energy sector.

During the Trump administration, I led the fight against oil and gas drilling off Virginia’s coastline, stopped attempts to slash funding for the EPA and the Chesapeake Bay, and forced power companies to clean up coal ash ponds, such as Possum Point. I am a proud cosponsor of legislation to address the harmful impacts of water and air pollution and empower frontline communities in federal policymaking.

Of course, the gravity of the climate crisis will demand bold action. That is why I was proud to join my colleague, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to help introduce the visionary Green New Deal resolution. Contrary to right-wing attacks on our proposal, the primary principle of the Green New Deal is that combating the climate crisis need not be a zero-sum proposition. Rather, the Green New Deal envisions a future where bold public investments in clean energy industries create and support high-quality jobs while promoting the adoption of clean energy sources and zero-emissions technology. I have also joined my colleague Congresswoman Cori Bush in introducing the Green New Deal for Cities Act to ensure that cities, counties, states, tribes, and territories can fund their climate and environmental justice projects.

Perhaps most importantly, our Green New Deal seeks to capture the ethos that truly makes America great. A spirit of optimism, ingenuity, and courage to face daunting challenges head-on – in recognition of the reality that major problems represent a major opportunity. I have never been more hopeful that we will lead the international community in transitioning away from fossil fuel and towards a prosperous clean energy future. This is a crisis, but it is an opportunity to create millions of good, family-sustaining jobs, protect our environment, provide clean air and water for all, and stamp out environmental racism.

Please take care of yourselves and each other. As always, my office stands ready to help if you or a loved one need assistance. Please don't hesitate to call us at (703) 256-3071, or visit my website here.