Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Women and Climate Change Act of 2022. This bill affirms the U.S. commitment to supporting a group of people who are most often negatively impacted by climate change, yet too often left out of decisionmaking and policy development--women. The bill creates a Federal interagency working group, established by the Department of State, that will collect data and develop policies and strategies to address the effects of climate change on women both at home and abroad. Communities all across the United States and the world are currently feeling the impacts of climate change. The time to empower women to respond to this crisis is now. As we commemorate International Women's Day today, we are reminded of the important roles that women play in communities across the world and seize this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to working towards equity.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCC, highlights that the majority of the world's poor is made up of women who rely on natural resources in their daily lives and are least likely to be able to respond to extreme weather events. These women disproportionately face the brunt of climate change impacts, yet too often have little power or say over how they, their families, and their communities are able to combat climate change. UNFCC notes that when women are allowed a role in developing strategies that address climate change, it often results in great responsiveness to local needs, enabling resilience and capacity building, and delivering peace across communities.

The rising costs of climate change to communities at home and abroad, both in terms of fatalities and expenses, are sobering. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, last year the United States alone experienced 20 weather and climate disasters that cost at least $1 billion each, netting a $145 billion price tag and resulting in 688 deaths. Data from NOAA indicates a trend of increasing billion-dollar disasters each decade since the 1980s, with the expectation that the trend will continue.

According to Christian Aid, a relief agency in the United Kingdom working to address poverty, the 10 worst global climate disasters in 2021 cost $170 billion. These included Hurricane Ida, which impacted the east coast of the United States and resulted in at least 95 deaths, flooding in Europe that caused 240 fatalities, and July floods in China that killed over 300 individuals.

The latest report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, last month highlights the consequences that the world will face if countries do not take immediate and significant action to address climate change. These consequences include extreme heat, floods, wildfire, drought, and famine that could result in malnutrition and displacement of people across the globe. The report also noted that between 2010 and 2020, extreme weather events fueled by climate change killed 15 times the number of people in poor countries as in wealthier nations. The report underscores how women will continue to face mounting challenges as the world experiences more severe and costly climate-fueled disasters. Women play a critical role in combating climate change--both within their communities and on a global scale. By including them at all levels, from planning to implementation, and providing them with the platform and support to carry out these strategies, we have the opportunity to create fair, effective, and sustainable solutions to respond to the climate crisis.

This bill is a companion to H.R. 260, which was introduced by my colleague Representative Barbara Lee early last year. I thank her for her leadership on this bill and look forward to continuing our work to see that women all across the world are empowered to help confront this global crisis.

Groups in support of this bill include Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, the Women's Environment and Development Organization, Madre, Outdoor Afro, California Environmental Voters, Oxfam America, League of Conservation Voters, and Schools for Climate Action. ______

By Mr. PADILLA:

S. 3788. A bill to address the homelessness and housing crises, to move toward the goal of providing for a home for all Americans, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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