House Democrats turn up the pressure on Trump with onslaught of climate hearings

[babylonsister]

House Democrats turn up the pressure on Trump with onslaught of climate hearings
For the first time in decades, climate is on the agenda.
E.A. Crunden
Feb 6, 2019, 2:44 pm


House Democrats offered an indicator of what their approach to environmental and climate accountability might look like in a series of initial hearings on Wednesday that ranged from tackling climate change to probing the Trump administration’s actions during the partial government shutdown.

House lawmakers hosted three competing hearings on Feb. 6, part of an ambitious slate of meetings to address pressing environmental issues. Two of those meetings centered climate change — one hosted by the Energy and Commerce Committee to address the economic cost of global warming, and one by the Natural Resources Committee focused on climate impacts. A third Appropriations Committee scrutinized the Interior Department’s shutdown decisions.

“[This is] the issue of our time, the challenge of our time, the opportunity of our time,” said Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), who chairs the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on the environment.

Testimony followed from scientists and economic experts, who helped to lay out a “green transition” — an eventual decarbonization of the economy coupled with the creation of new jobs in sectors like renewable energy.

At the same time, a second hearing on Capitol Hill, chaired by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), also took aim at climate change. “In 2018, there were 14 weather and climate disasters, each with damages over $1 billion, total cost $91 billion,” Grijalva said, pointing to new figures released Wednesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

more...

https://thinkprogress.org/democrats-climate-change-hearings-shutdown-trump-7d8da0e4451f/

[MyOwnPeace]

1. I read elsewhere

that this is the first time these have been scheduled in 6 or 8 years.

Hey, great job, Paul Ryan and the rest of you &%$#%^&*&^$%# Republicans!

[Scurrilous]

2. K&R