Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Providing An Update On The Senate Organizing Resolution And Instructing All Relevant Committees To Hold Hearings On The Climate Crisis In Preparation For Enacting President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor to provide an update on the Senate organizing resolution, which will allow Democrats to begin preparation for enacting President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. Senator Schumer also announced that he has instructed all relevant incoming committee chairs to conduct hearings on the climate crisis. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

I’m happy to report this morning that the leadership of both parties have finalized the organizing resolution for the Senate. We will pass the resolution through the Senate today, which means that committees can promptly set up and get to work – with Democrats holding the gavels.

For the information of the Senate, the Democratic caucus has announced its committee memberships for the next two years. I am confident our members are ready to hit the ground running on the most important issues that face our country.

Senate Democrats are not going to waste any time taking on the biggest challenges facing our country and our planet.

I have already instructed the incoming Democratic Chairs of all relevant committees to begin holding hearings on the climate crisis, in preparation for enacting President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, which includes major climate legislation.

It is long past time for the Senate to take a leading role in combating the existential threat of our time, climate.

As we all know, climate change touches virtually every aspect of our economy and involves virtually every aspect of public policy.

So as the Biden Administration prepares a whole-of-government approach to combatting climate change, the Democratic majority will pursue a whole-of-Senate approach as well.

Some of this work has already started. Two years ago, Senate Democrats established the first-ever Senate Special Committee on the Climate Crisis. I have promised that any action we take on infrastructure, in particular, will prioritize green infrastructure and the creation of green jobs—and create many jobs, good-paying jobs, we will.

Personally, I have introduced legislation to speed our country’s transition towards clean cars that has the support of the environmental community, the labor unions, and some of the car manufacturers.

Make no mistake: in several different ways, this Democratic majority will compel the Senate to forcefully, relentlessly, and urgently address climate change—beginning with work in all of the relevant committees.

So as we set up new committee structures, I look forward to working with the new Democratic Chairs on ways their committees will address the climate crisis. I look forward to speaking with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle about finding common ground on this issue.

And most importantly, I look forward to propelling this chamber into action on a crisis that concerns not only all of our futures, but the futures of our children and grandchildren. It’s our solemn obligation to leave behind a planet upon which future generations can grow and prosper.

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