Op-eds

May 30, 2024

Rep. Jared Huffman: I Want to Thank Samuel Alito for Flying His Flags

by Rep. Jared Huffman

As the only open non-believer in Congress, I want to thank Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Not for repeatedly revealing himself as an unethical political partisan who poisons the credibility of the court—I’m disgusted with that, and agree with those who are demanding his recusal in cases involving former President Donald Trump. But Alito’s latest scandal—flying the “Appeal to Heaven” flag at his New Jersey beach house—makes me grateful, because it might help save our imperiled American …  Continue Reading


April 19, 2024

Let California lead the way out of our global plastic pollution crisis

by REP. JARED HUFFMAN AND JANIS SEARLES JONES

California’s 840 miles of coastline are a gateway to stunning underwater scenery that only a few ever see. Kelp forests, deep sea mountains and swirling ocean currents shelter diverse plant and animal species, from playful sea otters and turtles to migrating tuna and gray, humpback, minke and other whale species that call the expansive Pacific their home. Though they are mostly out of sight, these marine habitats play an essential role in keeping our air and water clean, soaking up excess …  Continue Reading


January 03, 2024

Congressman pushes for justice along seafood supply chain

by Jared Huffman

As your congressman, I work on a wide range of issues that are important and well publicized.  But some of the most impactful work I did in 2023 involves something that is unknown and unseen by most people, yet vitally important. Even many of those who have heard about Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing and its associated human rights abuses could be forgiven for seeing it as a distant problem left to the mysterious realm of the high seas; one that doesn’t reach our shores and …  Continue Reading


December 07, 2023

Congress must push for a stronger regulatory framework for pipelines

by Jared Huffman

If I’ve learned anything after a decade in Congress, it’s that Big Oil and its congressional allies never miss an opportunity to push the fossil fuel agenda.  So it’s no surprise that right now, fossil fuel advocates are trying to hitch a ride on the historic clean energy investment opportunities in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA).  Oblivious to the climate crisis, impervious to the economic, social justice and national security arguments …  Continue Reading


December 08, 2022

Oversight of cryptocurrency — particularly its environmental impacts is long overdue

by Jared Huffman

What happens when smoke and mirrors burn the planet? While the epic collapse of overhyped digital currencies and exchanges makes front page news, the environmental damage from cryptocurrency mining is hiding in plain sight. Especially for energy-guzzling "proof of work" cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Any claims that Bitcoin is environmentally friendly are just as flimsy as the industry's brash statements about the stability of cryptocurrencies and crypto exchanges. As the U.S. and the …  Continue Reading


November 23, 2022

Huffman’s trip reveals positive signs, continuing obstructions as climate fight continues

by Jared Huffman

Not long ago, it felt like dire warnings were necessary to get people to even think about climate change. Today, it’s a different challenge. Worst-case scenarios climate scientists have warned about for decades – including crippling droughts, extreme heat waves, catastrophic wildfires and rising sea levels – are unfolding. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt, I saw how the reality of our worsening climate crisis is changing the …  Continue Reading


November 07, 2022

How climate change altered a longstanding Central Valley water reform

by Jared Huffman & George Miller

Thirty years ago, President George H.W. Bush signed an ambitious California water reform known as the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, or the CVPIA. The bill responded to a drought, crashing salmon runs, threats to Central Valley wetlands and antiquated water policies. California is again suffering from drought and low fish counts. The CVPIA’s successes and failures provide lessons to help ensure a healthy environment and more reliable water supplies. It is time to take …  Continue Reading


April 17, 2022

Close to Home: Envisioning the Klamath without dams

by Congressman Jared Huffman

The beleaguered Klamath River Basin is finally getting good news. The recommendation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to advance Klamath dam removal sets a path for a more sustainably managed river - something we haven't seen for more than a century. It won't solve every problem in the Klamath Basin, but it bodes well for the future. Klamath dam removal will be the largest salmon restoration project in history - a remarkable victory for the tribes and downstream communities that …  Continue Reading


November 08, 2021

Close to Home: The view from Glasgow climate summit

by Rep. Jared Huffman

Climate change is the greatest moral, economic and environmental imperative we are facing as a country - and as a planet - and the policy decisions we make today will impact every future generation. Rising temperatures, severe weather, mass extinction of wildlife, food shortages, historic refugee crises: the consequences of inaction are significant, and the solutions grow more expensive with every passing year. This is the reality on everyone's mind as I arrive Monday for the second week of …  Continue Reading


October 20, 2021

Ban on new offshore drilling must stay in the Build Back Better Act

by BY REP. MIKE LEVIN (D-CALIF.), SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-CALIF.), REPS. JARED HUFFMAN (D-CALIF.), AND ALAN LOWENTHAL (D-CALIF.), OPINION CONTRIBUTORS

The oil spill off the coast of Southern California is an ecological and economic disaster. Estimates suggest that tens of thousands of gallons of oil have spilled from an offshore pipeline, and it has spread across the coasts of three counties. Dead birds and fish washed ashore, local beaches were closed, boaters were being asked to stay away, and all fishing was curtailed for the area. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last as long as offshore …  Continue Reading


June 10, 2021

Modernizing transportation can help tackle the climate crisis

by Rep. Jared Huffman

It's no surprise that wildfire season is already upon us in California, with experts projecting that this year's season will be among the worst - an unwelcome trend in the West. Drought and dry weather have once again put California, along with other states, at risk for extreme and dangerous fires. Despite increased safety planning, community awareness, and countless mitigation efforts, we have witnessed each wildfire season becoming progressively worse year over year. The need for climate …  Continue Reading


April 21, 2021

Time to deliver the Postal Vehicle Modernization Act

by Rep. Jared Huffman

The United States Postal Service, our reeling economy, and our planet all need saving and we have a unique opportunity to make progress on all three at the same time. Since our nation's founding, the Postal Service has been dutifully connecting the American people to each other. It is among the most beloved American institutions and it continues to play a vital role in our economy and daily lives. For most Americans it is a valuable service, and for seniors and veterans it is a critical …  Continue Reading


February 17, 2021

Zero-emission vehicles can help transform the Postal Service

by Rep. Jared Huffman

The United States Postal Service, our reeling economy and our warming planet all need saving - and we have a unique opportunity to make progress on all three at the same time. Since our nation's founding, the Postal Service has been dutifully connecting millions of people to each other. It is among the most beloved American institutions and it continues to play a vital role in our economy and daily lives. But the truth is, our Postal Service is crumbling. A combination of factors - the …  Continue Reading


January 07, 2021

Close to Home: For inciting a riot, Trump must go

by Jared Huffman and Mike Thompson

Wednesday was a heartbreaking day to serve in Congress. We were elected to represent our constituents and this week, as we began to certify the free and fair election of President-elect Joe Biden, we witnessed a violent insurrection in the halls of the Capitol. The United States has been a beacon of democracy for almost 250 years. Our peaceful transfer of power has long been seen as the model for other countries that aspire to a free and democratic form of government. In fact, there are only …  Continue Reading


October 06, 2020

Warren Buffett can undam the Klamath

by Rep. Jared Huffman and Rep. Raul Grijalva

This year, Americans have reckoned with historic inequalities, and urgent demands for change have been raised from coast to coast. The necessary work of fixing systemic racism and economic inequality is difficult and often complicated: we need to address laws and policies at every level of government and industry. It's a rare situation indeed where one man can make a single decision to reverse years of injustice. But in northwest California, the Klamath dam removal project is that situation, …  Continue Reading


August 04, 2020

California would benefit from a climate-crisis action plan

by Reps. Jared Huffman, Julia Brownley, and Mike Levin

Across California, members of our communities are no strangers to the catastrophic impacts of the climate crisis, particularly the devastation wrought by wildfires. In 2018, when over 1.8 million acres in the state burned, the Camp Fire in Northern California officially became the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in our state's history, breaking a record set only a year before with the Tubbs Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties. These two historic wildfires in back to back years add to the …  Continue Reading


July 02, 2020

Congressman lays out House climate committee’s proposal

by Rep. Jared Huffman

We are being tested this year. A mass pandemic, historic unemployment and economic collapse, as well as an unprecedented public outcry for police reform and racial justice. Meanwhile, the climate crisis is accelerating. All-time temperature records continue to fall, while air pollution and environmental injustices have acted as a threat multiplier for the country's most vulnerable populations. Amid that backdrop, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis proposed a detailed plan this …  Continue Reading


December 13, 2019

Arctic lease sale is bad for taxpayers

by Rep. Jared Huffman

© Getty America's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a unique national treasure that must not be squandered for short-term fossil fuel profits. Most of us understand that, even if we've never visited the refuge's vast untouched wilderness, or personally witnessed the tremendous ecological diversity it sustains. We may not have the same deep, multi-generational connection to this beautiful landscape as the indigenous Gwich'in people whose subsistence, culture and way of life …  Continue Reading


December 21, 2016

Marin Voice: Staggered progress toward a more perfect union

by Congressman Jared Huffman

December 21, 2016 As the presidential election results rolled in, many Californians were shocked - including children, who felt fear that someone so means and bigoted could become our president; and parents, who struggled to explain this new reality to their children. Since then, with each worrisome personnel decision, Twitter firestorm or conflict of interest revelation, thousands of constituents have contacted me to express their deep concerns about the direction our country might be …  Continue Reading


October 25, 2016

Work underway to expedite Last Chance Grade solution

by Congressman Jared Huffman

Del Norte TriplicateOctober 25, 2016 This week, I'll have the unusual privilege of flying hundreds of feet over Last Chance Grade with my colleague Congressman Peter DeFazio of Oregon, the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I wish I were bringing him to see a road that has been stabilized and is no longer under threat of sliding into the ocean. That's not yet the case. But, fortunately, through the strong collaborative work over the past few years, we are …  Continue Reading

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