In the News
After climate summit, House Democrats feel heat on budget vote
by Joseph Morton and Benjamin J. Hulac
House Democrats who attended last week's international climate summit in Glasgow returned describing a reception that combined sincere appreciation for a change in U.S. policy direction on the issue with real skepticism about the extent and reliability of America's commitment - especially as they meet resistance in their own party to emission reduction policies in their reconciliation package. "The hard questions that we consistently got were, you know, why didn't the United States sign on to … Continue Reading
November 15, 2021
Northern California leaders cheer funding infusion for infrastructure, but Huffman calls bill short of ‘transformative’
by ANDREW GRAHAM
North Bay officials hailed the prospect of long-awaited investments in the region's internet connectivity, roadways, transit systems and electric grid Monday as President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion dollar infrastructure package into law on the White House lawn. Here at home, sums of federal money unprecedented in decades are expected soon to begin flowing to public transportation, roads and bridges. Though local leaders said it was too soon to put precise dollar figures on what might … Continue Reading
November 12, 2021
Congressman Huffman Says Build Back Better Bill Needs To Pass With Infrastructure Bill For The Climate
Congressman Jared Huffman is speaking out regarding the infrastructure bill. In Glasgow, the North Bay Congressman told Yahoo News that the infrastructure bill to be signed on Monday by President Biden will worsen climate change unless the accompanying Build Back Better bill is passed as well. Huffman compared the infrastructure bill to the infrastructure bill of the 1980's "with some crumbs for electric vehicle charging mixed in with gray hydrogen." He said passing the Build Back Better bill … Continue Reading
November 10, 2021
Biden’s Build Back Better bill would speed up conversion to electric mail trucks at struggling USPS
by Ledyard King
WASHINGTON - Congress is trying to deliver an oversize package to the U.S. Postal Service: roughly $6 billion to accelerate the electrification of the agency's vehicles by the end of the decade. The money, tucked into the Democrats' Build Back Better bill of social spending programs being negotiated in Congress, would represent the most ambitious step to decarbonize the federal fleet and provide a down payment on President Joe Biden's efforts to confront climate change. Transportation makes … Continue Reading
November 05, 2021
House passes $1-trillion bipartisan infrastructure package
by Jennifer Haberkorn
WASHINGTON - The House passed a historic $1-trillion infrastructure package Friday night and voted to allow formal debate on a larger social spending and climate bill, a show of progress on President Biden's agenda after months of division between centrists and progressives. A planned final vote on the larger social spending bill was scuttled because a group of moderates - enough to block the measure - refused to support it until they had an official estimate of its economic cost. The … Continue Reading
November 01, 2021
Democrats push bills, resolution in line with climate talks
by Nick Sobczyk
Congressional Democrats are pushing international financing institutions to move away from fossil fuels, as United Nations climate talks kick off in Glasgow, Scotland. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) last week introduced bicameral legislation - S. 3106 and H.R. 5775 - that would require U.S. representatives at international financing organizations - such as the International Finance Corp. and various development banks - to use the "voice and vote" of the United … Continue Reading
October 30, 2021
Huffman-Merkley bill would prioritize US international investment in clean energy
by KATHLEEN COATES
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman has co-introduced legislation that would require the U.S. to support the cause of transitioning the global economy to clean energy in investments abroad. Huffman, D-San Rafael, and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, proposed the bill Thursday ahead of a major international climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, running from Sunday through Nov. 12, according to a news release from Huffman's office. The legislation would also prohibit U.S. assistance to … Continue Reading
October 29, 2021
Biden’s spending package would give USPS $6 billion to replace dangerous mail trucks with electric vehicles
by Jacob Bogage
Funding included in President Biden's massive social spending package would allow the U.S. Postal Service to fuel 70 percent of its massive mail delivery fleet with battery-electric power by the end of the decade, according to the agency, a major win for President Biden and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who lobbied Congress for the money. The $1.75 trillion legislation unveiled in the House on Thursday includes roughly $6 billion for the mail agency to buy trucks from … Continue Reading
October 28, 2021
Progressives Have to Lose for Democrats to Win on Biden Agenda
by Sam Brodey
Democrats are finally nearing the end on a legacy-defining win for President Joe Biden and the party. But for them to cross the finish line, progressives will have to accept a bill that's far less than what they wanted-handing a win to moderates like Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)-while the left swallows yet another social welfare spending half-loaf. And yet, they're happy to do it. For the most part. "I got a trillion-and-a-half of progressive wish list items, instead of … Continue Reading
October 28, 2021
Fossil fuel executives set to testify on climate disinformation at House Oversight hearing
by Ella Nilsen
CNN - For the first time, the executives of major fossil fuel companies and industry groups will testify in front of Congress on Thursday about disinformation on the climate crisis and the role their organizations have played in it. Heads from ExxonMobil, BP America, Chevron Corp., Shell Oil Co., the American Petroleum Institute and the US Chamber of Commerce will sit in front of the House Oversight Committee on Thursday. Committee members are expected to press the executives about their … Continue Reading
October 27, 2021
Del Norte fifth grader chosen as youth tree lighter
Michael Mavris, a fifth-grade student from Mary Peacock Elementary in Del Norte County, was selected as the youth tree lighter in a surprise joint call between U.S. Representative Jared Huffman and Forest Supervisor Ted McArthur last week. Mavris' essay was chosen out of 53 submissions using the prompt, "What does the theme 'Six Rivers, Many Peoples, One Tree' mean to you?" Huxley Cantrell of Trinity County and Merrik Wilton of Humboldt County were selected as their county's … Continue Reading
October 26, 2021
White House sets climate spending at up to $555 billion
by Zack Colman and Laura Barron-Lopez
The White House has told allies in Congress that climate change programs in Democrats' spending bill will range between $500 billion and $555 billion, according to four sources familiar with the negotiations. While the package will exclude Democrats' proposed system of payments and penalties to push power companies to increase renewable energy, the plan being developed will allow President Joe Biden to head to the global climate talks next week in Glasgow, Scotland with a framework for the … Continue Reading
October 26, 2021
Panels hear pleas for Indigenous leadership in conservation
by Nico Portouondo
In a pair of House hearings yesterday, advocates and some lawmakers said Indigenous populations should have greater control of conservation efforts and forest management - both in the United States and abroad. A hearing of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife examined how the United States' funding of traditional, international nature reserves may be doing severe harm to local and Indigenous populations. Specifically, the subcommittee discussed actions taken by … Continue Reading
October 25, 2021
Rep. Jared Huffman announces career program opening for veterans
by Dania Romero
EUREKA Calif. - On Monday, Rep. Jared Huffman, along with the Office of Chief Administrative Officer, has announced an opening for a Wounded Warrior Fellow. According to Huffman, this two-year program was established to create employment opportunities which will lead to experience and exposure to broaden career opportunities. The has an opening in one of his district offices in San Rafael, Petaluma, Ukiah, or Eureka. "The Wounded Warrior fellowship Program has provided veterans with an … Continue Reading
October 24, 2021
Biden Meets With Manchin and Schumer as Democrats Race to Finish Social Policy Bill
by Catie Edmondson and Emily Cochrane
WASHINGTON - President Biden huddled with key Democrats on Sunday to iron out crucial spending and tax provisions as they raced to wrap up their expansive social safety net legislation before his appearance at a U.N. climate summit next week. Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said Democrats were close to completing the bill, displaying confidence that the negotiations over issues like paid leave, tax increases and Medicare benefits that have bedeviled the party for months would soon … Continue Reading
October 23, 2021
Two Basin Partnership pursues ‘Plan B’ for Scott Dam removal
by Isabella Vanderheiden
Chances are slim to none that a group of Northern California agencies, known as the Two-Basin Partnership, will raise the funds required to take over the license for the Potter Valley Project - a water diversion system in the Eel River basin - by April 2022 but the organization remains undeterred. The Two-Basin Partnership - California Trout, Humboldt County, the Mendocino County Inland Water & Power Commission, the Round Valley Indian Tribes and Sonoma County Water Agency - requested an … Continue Reading
October 22, 2021
Dem leaders eye reconciliation deal for vote next week
by Emma Dumain
House Democratic leaders were bullish today that they are close to an agreement on a multitrillion-dollar social and climate spending package that could allow a vote to take place as soon as next week. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the House majority leader, announced this morning that "the House will aim to consider" next week both the yet-to-be-finalized reconciliation measure and the bipartisan infrastructure package the Senate passed over the summer. "I hope to bring both of these bills to … Continue Reading
October 21, 2021
Caucus launched to promote national marine sanctuaries
by Rob Hotakainen
Two House members have teamed up to create a bipartisan National Marine Sanctuary Caucus that will aim to promote the preservation of marine and freshwater habitats in Congress. The co-chairs of the caucus, Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) - who heads the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife - and Garret Graves (R-La.) said they've already lined up 32 other House members - 27 Democrats and five Republicans - to join their effort. In a statement, the congressmen … Continue Reading
October 21, 2021
A key senator presented an alternative power plant program. But will it stick?
by Maxine Joselow
A key senator unveiled an alternative to a major climate program. But will it gain traction? Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) floated an alternative approach to reducing planet-warming emissions from power plants during a virtual meeting with Democrat lawmakers on Wednesday, two people on the private call confirmed to The Climate 202. But it remains unclear whether the proposal, which would involve providing grants to states that deploy more clean energy, will garner the … Continue Reading
October 20, 2021
Democrats want to slow climate change in a new bill. It’s proving harder than they thought
by Jennifer Haberkorn and Anna M. Phillips
WASHINGTON - The centerpiece of President Biden's climate agenda is running into opposition from key moderate Democrats, raising questions about whether Congress will pass legislation that significantly slows global warming. Biden has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 50% within a decade, a potentially insurmountable task without major changes in the way the country generates electricity. Democrats had hoped Biden's "Build Back Better" program would serve as a … Continue Reading