Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Senate Passage Of Legislation To Combat Climate Change By Reinstating EPA Methane Emissions Standards

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the floor in advance of Senate passage of a Congressional Review Act resolution to reinstate EPA methane emissions rules. Schumer called this a major step in fighting climate change. The Trump administration had reversed the Obama administration’s methane rules despite broad support. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

As we approach the 100-day mark of this new Congress, the Senate is about to take its first major step in fighting climate change.

In a moment, the Senate will vote on reinstating commonsense rules to reduce methane emissions. It’ll be the first time the Senate Democratic majority has used the Congressional Review Act. And it is no mistake that we have chosen to use the law—first and foremost—on the subject of climate change.

Under this Democratic majority, the Senate will be a place where we take decisive, ambitious, and effective action against climate change.

Of course, reducing methane emissions is not the only thing we need to do to fight climate change, but it’s a very significant and large first step. Methane accounts for roughly a quarter of all the human-caused global warming that has transpired since the Industrial Revolution.

Restoring these methane-reducing rules will be one of the most significant climate actions that the Senate has taken in more than a decade. I urge my colleagues to vote yes, and commend Senators Heinrich, King, and Markey for their great work on this issue.

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