Worsening Impacts of Extreme Weather

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of our collective experience of seeing in real time the impacts of climate change unfold. This past month we have seen temperatures rise and air quality worsen.

The smoke from the recent Canadian wildfires led Michigan to issue their first-ever statewide air quality advisory. Instead of being outside enjoying the Great Lakes, my constituents were filling up emergency rooms in Beaumont of Farmington Hills, struggling to breathe.

These impacts are not just hitting us locally in Michigan. July 3 and 4 saw some of the highest global average temperatures in recorded human history.

This is why last year I worked so hard with my Democratic colleagues to pass the Inflation Reduction Act. The IRA is the single largest investment in combating climate change.

We are already starting to see the benefits coming from these Federal actions. Michigan's clean energy jobs grew by 3.8 percent in 2022 alone.

Mr. Speaker, we can turn this challenge into an opportunity, our 21st century moon shot: create jobs, renovate, address, and be resilient.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source