Pallone Joins House Congressional Delegation in Attending COP29 Climate Conference
“Now more than ever, I look forward to attending COP to demonstrate that America is still in this fight and that we will not abandon our commitments or our allies”
Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today as he joins a Congressional Delegation trip to Baku, Azerbaijan for the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP29:
“The United States must remain a leader in the global fight to combat the worsening climate crisis. That’s why I am appalled by Trump’s intention to once again pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord. By surrendering America’s role as a global climate leader, Trump will allow our adversaries and competitors to fill the void we leave behind. Now more than ever, I look forward to attending COP to demonstrate that America is still in this fight and that we will not abandon our commitments or our allies. Democrats will simply not allow the Trump Administration to wave the white flag of surrender on our children’s future.
“We are out of time for denialism and political games. I hope my Republican colleagues come in good faith, prepared to chart a path forward for slashing dangerous climate pollution, making our country more resilient to the devastating effects of climate change, and above all, dramatically reducing our dependency on fossil fuels. We cannot afford to watch from the sidelines while this crisis threatens Americans’ homes and jobs.
“Democrats made historic, permanent inroads in addressing climate change over the last four years that will serve as our foundation for climate action for years to come. We ensured that state and local governments, communities, and businesses will have the resources they need to continue the fight. And there are bipartisan areas of agreement, such as on scaling up carbon capture technology, that we can and must come together to pass. I am determined to meet this moment and get the job done.”
President Biden and Congressional Democrats delivered the greatest investment in climate action in American history with the Inflation Reduction Act, which included a historic $369 billion for promoting clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To date, the Inflation Reduction Act has created more than 330,000 good paying jobs and is expected to create nine million American jobs over the next decade. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also invested a historic $1.2 trillion in our nation’s infrastructure, including for clean energy, electric grid resiliency, and electric vehicles.
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