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Pallone Remarks at COP27 News Conference in Egypt

November 11, 2022

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other House Committee Chairs at a news conference today at the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP27. Following, are Pallone's remarks as prepared for delivery:

"I was at previous conferences when Trump was president and he was trying to take us out of the Paris Agreement, and I was so proud to see Speaker Pelosi lead a delegation to make the point to everyone that the United States was still very much in this. And today it is very easy to make that point because of the Inflation Reduction Act and because of the infrastructure bill.

"We are here to demonstrate that the United States continues its commitment to standing with our global partners in the fight against climate change. We are here to reaffirm our determination to accelerate our transition to a stronger, more equitable and sustainable future.

"In terms of the Inflation Reduction Act, this bill was the single-largest investment in climate action in American history. It drove cuts in methane pollution, established a national Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and supported the deployment of clean energy technologies across every sector of the economy. In conjunction with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, it has really put us on track to meet the climate targets set forth in the Paris Agreement.

"The President has put out a statement and will be talking about methane this afternoon. Methane is one of the most dangerous and potent greenhouse gases. And the Inflation Reduction Act created all these new tools to fight methane and other pollutants.

"We still have to do more to achieve a clean, sustainable future, and we are going to continue the fight. And regardless of what happens with the last election, I just want our global partners to know that Democrats are prepared to fight any Republican attempts to undermine these gains. Republicans have made it clear that they will push an extreme agenda that favors fossil fuel and corporate special interests over the interests of the American people and our allies. Democrats are here to make it clear that we will aggressively oppose any proposal that would gut or weaken our hard-won climate achievements.

"Solving this global problem requires global cooperation, and we will not falter in our commitment or in our determination to tackle the climate crisis head-on."

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