Pallone on Release of the Fifth National Climate Assessment

Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today following the Biden Administration’s release of the Fifth National Climate Assessment, a regular report mandated by Congress which provides a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence of climate change and the impacts and risks for the United States:

“Today’s report is a wakeup call about the effects of the climate crisis on every sector of our economy and every region of our country.  Where the United States used to experience a billion-dollar extreme weather event every few months, we are now experiencing one every few weeks. The findings in this report are serious, and they demand serious solutions.  With the Inflation Reduction Act, we’re beginning to implement the tools necessary to respond to this threat, but more must be done – and fast.

“We are out of time for Republicans’ denialism and obstruction. It is unconscionable that while Americans’ lives and livelihoods are increasingly threatened by the climate crisis, Republicans are working around the clock to revoke the very investments Democrats made to combat it.  While families continue to pay the price with their health and their jobs, Republicans are turning their backs, offering nothing but fossil fuel talking points.

“The rest of the world is already taking the climate threat seriously, embarking on a major transition to clean energy and carbon-free economies.  We can either lead that transition or watch from the sidelines as American workers and industries get left behind. The choice is clear, and I am determined to ensure Congress makes the right one.”

Recently released by the 13 Federal Agencies that make up the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) is the most authoritative statement to date of the science on climate change impacts in the United States and its effects on major regions and sectors of our economy. It represents a comprehensive assessment of how our changing climate is affecting Americans today, what is likely to come by the end of the century, and how climate-related risks could be reduced or avoided through adaptation and mitigation.

The assessment was written by a team of more than 300 experts and scientists from academia, federal, state, local and tribal governments, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.

###