Huffman Speaks Out: With Sequester, Our Communities Unable to Prepare for, Rebuild after Natural Disasters
WASHINGTON—Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), a member of the Safe Climate Caucus, spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives today to urge the House to end the sequester and move forward on strong legislation to fight Climate Change.
“Because of Climate Change, we are facing stronger and more destructive storms and natural disasters than at any time in American history. At the same time, the Sequester is slashing funding for the agencies that are critical to helping our communities protect, adapt, and rebuild,” Congressman Huffman said. “Our planet is warming, we’re beginning to feel major impacts, and it will only get worse unless we act to protect our climate.”
A video of Congressman Huffman’s speech can be found HERE:
Congressman Huffman’s full remarks are below:
“Mr. Speaker, because of Climate Change, we are facing stronger and more destructive storms and natural disasters than at any time in American history.
At the same time, the Sequester is slashing funding for the agencies that are critical to helping our communities protect, adapt, and rebuild.
NOAA will lose $271 million in funding this year, and that includes $50 million for the geostationary weather satellite program. That’s the program that provides continuous monitoring of severe weather. So, less than a year after Hurricane Sandy and a month after devastating tornados in Oklahoma, we’re cutting the agency responsible for forecasting and monitoring severe weather.
But it’s not just severe weather disasters on our shores that threaten American communities. My congressional district has seen debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami wash up on our shores, and our regional economy is inextricably linked to the health of the oceans, which are jeopardized by climate change.
Our planet is warming, we’re beginning to feel major impacts, and it will only get worse unless we act to protect our climate.”
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