Protecting Our Planet

You do not have to be a scientist to recognize the role of climate change in the extreme weather we currently experience. From deep freezes to flash floods to killer hurricanes, we are living with the consequences of climate action–not in some distant future, but here and now. Home insurance policies are already skyrocketing across Texas, especially in Austin, due to more frequent and more extreme weather related disasters. Despite the clear and pressing threat of the climate crisis, Trump, supported by Republicans, has once again reversed our response to the climate crisis. At a time for solutions, he has joined Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only countries rejecting the Paris Climate Agreement. Firing staff for our National Parks, weather service, and environmental safety and stopping research and funding for climate research and solutions threatens our health and safety.

In Congress, I continue to oppose every Republican rollback and present alternatives to protect our environment. I am working with my colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee and Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition to defend our incentives and investments in clean energy as House Republicans try to cut them to pay for Trump’s billionaire tax breaks. Many of these incentives can help you cut costs while going green; you can find more information at this resource page. I am committed to defending our progress in fighting climate action and taking bold steps to advance protections for our planet. 

Clean land, air and water

I have sponsored ambitious climate proposals in Congress, ranging from phasing out unnecessary and harmful single-use plastics like Styrofoam to ensuring tax credits for renewable energy are not awarded to dirty fossil fuels to holding the United States and other trade partners accountable for reducing harmful emissions, deforestation, and forest degradation. Plastic production is on track to comprise almost a third of our carbon budget, and Trump threatens to worsen this crisis by filling the EPA with petrochemical lobbyists. My Farewell to Foam and REDUCE Acts would help shift us away from unnecessary plastic production and toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. I am working to advance actionable policies across various sectors that contribute to the climate crisis and to ensure that our environmental protection is equitable and just. 

As the recipient of the Texas League of Conservation Voters’ inaugural Environmental Champion Award with lifetime A+ scores from the League of Conservation Voters, the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, and the National Parks Action Fund, I will continue to support efforts to protect our environment and will keep working for solutions in Congress. 

Clean Energy

Enacting an energy policy that strengthens our economy and protects our health and the environment is long overdue. However, Trump and Republican elected officials are working to limit the growth of clean energy projects. Texas, in particular, is well-positioned to reap the benefits of a clean energy economy. Texas already leads the nation in electricity generated by wind, utility-scale solar, and small-scale solar. Republican attacks to restrict further development of wind and solar projects threaten our local clean energy economy.

With the passage of the 2022 climate law, Texas benefitted from a surge of investment in clean energy and new incentives for families to adopt clean energy at home. Now, Trump leads Republicans attacking these resources and jeopardizing our progress and path forward. We need to explore all available tools and technologies while ensuring taxpayer dollars are utilized to achieve maximum savings because energy savings could mean the difference between the Earth’s saving and its destruction. As an active member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment coalition and a defender of renewable energy tax credits, I will never give up on our planet.