Schumer Statement Following Meeting With President-elect Biden’s Intended Nominees For Climate-Related Administration Positions
Washington, D.C. — Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) released the following statement today regarding his virtual meeting with President-elect Biden’s intended nominees for Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Energy, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, White House National Climate Advisor and Deputy White House National Climate Advisor:
“Today I had a productive conversation with many key figures President-elect Biden has nominated to tackle the climate crisis and undo the disastrous Trump administration policies. Secretary of Interior-designate Deb Haaland, Secretary of Energy-designate Jennifer Granholm, and EPA Administrator-designate Michael Regan are immensely qualified individuals who bring a wealth of experience to their prospective roles and will be a stark contrast to the unqualified, polluter-friendly, and fossil fuel-influenced Trump Cabinet. President-elect Biden’s historic choice of Brenda Mallory to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality as well as former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy and Ali Zaidi to serve as Director and Deputy Director of the White House National Climate Advisor show the incoming administration is well poised to achieve ambitious climate, clean energy, and conservation goals.
“Our wide-ranging discussion covered many aspects of the bold climate agenda we will execute with the Biden-Harris administration, including the first ever agreement to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are among the most potent greenhouse gases, our plan to transition to 100% clean electricity by 2035, and my Clean Cars for America proposal, which calls for 100% of new vehicle sales to be clean vehicles by 2030. In particular, our discussion focused on how we can work together to build a clean energy future using a whole-of-government approach that protects public health and safety while creating jobs and growing our economy. We discussed the need for environmental justice to be at the center of this agenda to ensure that communities of color, Tribes, and other minorities are part of our efforts to build a more sustainable future that puts the needs of hardest hit communities first. We also discussed the importance of working with the labor community as we prepare a bold economic recovery plan to create millions of good jobs in a clean economy. Lastly, I was able to discuss a number of issues critical to my constituents in New York including the importance of the recreation economy and Land and Water Conservation Fund.
“With the coronavirus pandemic shining a light on the health and economic disparities we’ve long witnessed, I am eager to roll up my sleeves to get to work with these highly qualified individuals to address the steep human and economic costs of a worsening climate crisis and guide the just transition to a low-carbon economy that works for everyone.”
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