From the launch of my first congressional campaign in 2014, the issue at the forefront of my mind has been climate change. It is the most significant existential threat of our time, with a cost in lives and financial loss that grows higher every year. The climate crisis requires comprehensive action on a grand scale.

In Congress, I serve as Co-Chair of the Congressional Safe Climate Caucus, a group of over 70 Democrats pushing solutions to move the country away from carbon pollution.

Carbon pricing is one of the most important tools available that can help us meet the speed and scale with which we need to respond. For that reason, I am the sponsor of the Healthy Climate and Family Security Act, a carbon cap and dividend bill that would auction carbon pollution credits and return the proceeds electronically every quarter to every American. I also support a Green New Deal.

We must facilitate research and innovation to decarbonize sectors and build upon our current successes. My bipartisan SEA FUEL Act to help the military capture carbon and use it to create fuels was signed into law in the previous session of Congress. I am also a co-lead of the ARPA-E Reauthorization Act to develop truly transformational clean energy technologies. I founded the Congressional Fusion Caucus earlier to educate Members about the science behind fusion energy, dispel any misconceptions, and advocate for increased funding through private-public partnerships. 

My legislation to use tax incentives to spur widespread adoption of mid-size electric vehicles is a key piece of the climate provisions of the Build Back Better Act, President Biden’s signature climate legislation. That bill also contains provisions I led, including the NET Zero Act to scale up the development of direct air capture legislation, which would remove carbon pollution directly from the air, as well as legislation to incentivize the reduction of emissions in commercial buildings, increased production of domestic solar and green hydrogen.

From the launch of my first congressional campaign in 2014, I have been especially focused on the need to protect our environment and address climate change. Climate change is one of humanity’s most pressing challenges, with direct ties to the rising cost of living. We have the power to overcome it with comprehensive action that will also protect clean air and water while lowering Americans’ energy bills.

In Congress, I serve as Co-Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), which works to promote environmental protection, supports conservation efforts, and advocates for clean energy solutions that will help lower electricity prices. I am also a co-Chair of both the Congressional Safe Climate Caucus and the Endangered Species Caucus.

My legislative efforts in this area have included a number of  clean energy provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act to help lower electricity costs, as well as legislative efforts like, the Healthy Climate and Family Security Act, the Cleaner, Quieter Airplanes Act, the Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act, the Appalachian Trail Centennial Act, the and the bipartisan SEA FUEL Act, to name a few. I founded the Congressional Fusion Caucus to educate Members of both parties on cutting edge fusion technology and its ability to provide abundant, safe, clean energy. 

I have secured funding for local jurisdictions to purchase electric school buses to mitigate diesel pollution exposure in children as well as secured funding for upgrades in our local parks.. 

I am focused on helping our local community adapt to climate change. For example, I lead the bipartisan National Oceans and Coastal Security Improvements Act, which builds on a program I helped create to ensure coastal resilience and help communities like Alexandria proactively deal with nuisance flooding, and I have secured several community funded projects for our local communities to directly fund sewer infrastructure improvements to mitigate stress from increases in rain falls.

More recently, I have led Congressional conversations with our regional grid operator PJM as well as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on solutions to prevent electricity price hikes from data centers, and to ensure smarter, cleaner, more cost effective long range planning and more effective operations to bring down costs.