Pingree Applauds Biden Administration's Climate Executive Orders

Press Release

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today released the following statement in response to President Joe Biden's executive actions to address the climate crisis:

"The Biden Climate plan is a visionary departure from an Administration that dismissed the well-established science of climate change. This plan will direct every arm of the federal government to recognize the greatest environmental challenge facing humanity and work together to mitigate it. As the newly appointed Chair of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, I am committed to helping this administration act with urgency to ensure that no more time is wasted in dealing with this most critical issue.

"I am extremely pleased that the Biden administration's climate plan will direct the Department of the Interior to help reduce America's reliance on fossil fuels and conserve at least 30% each of our nation's lands and waters by 2030. The Biden plan will pause new oil and natural gas leasing in offshore waters and public lands, and calls for the Department of Interior to accelerate development of renewable energy in their place.

"As an organic farmer for 40 years, I am particularly encouraged that President Biden's climate executive order will direct the USDA to gather input from farmers who are on the frontlines of this crisis. Given a seat at the table, farmers can be among our greatest allies in this fight. That's exactly why I introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act last year."

Last Spring, Pingree introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), comprehensive legislation that sets a bold vision of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. agriculture by the year 2040. To reach net-zero agricultural emissions within the next 20 years, the ARA focuses on six concrete policy areas and offers solutions rooted in science that are farmer-driven, read about them here.

On Monday, Pingree was elected to serve as House Appropriations Committee Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chair. As chair, Pingree will oversee discretionary spending for the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, US Forest Service, and several agencies related to the arts and humanities. In her new leadership role, she has pledged to repair the damage done to our environment by the Trump administration and prioritize federal resources to mitigate the climate crisis.

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