Key House Democrat urges ‘economywide’ approach to climate change

Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), a leading Democrat on environmental issues, said Tuesday that he hopes to take an “economywide” approach to combating climate change this session. 

“We will need to take much bolder action to achieve the economy transformation we need at the scope and scale necessary,” Tonko told reporters. “The climate situation is severe, and the climate situation is urgent.”

On a press call Tuesday, the leader of the House Energy and Commerce environment subcommittee laid out his priorities for this session, when Democrats have control of both houses of Congress for the first time in about a decade. However, his party will still have the Senate filibuster to contend with on some legislation. 

Tonko said that the economywide action would entail legislation on transportation, such as allowing for more electric vehicle charging stations, as well as solutions coming from the agricultural, forestry and manufacturing sectors, including through the use of retrofitting in manufacturing. 

“We can do a sectoral approach, which enables us then to piecemeal our way in a very collaborative way to reach the robust goal of 2050,” he said, referring to the goal of reaching carbon neutrality by that year. 

He also said that one vehicle for some of the changes could be an infrastructure bill that includes charging stations and modernizing the electric grid. 

Asked whether he would support using budget reconciliation to adopt a clean electricity standard, which would require a certain percentage of electricity to come from clean sources, Tonko said, “We’re going to remain open-minded to all of the elements.”

Tonko also outlined other priorities besides tackling climate change, including supporting programs that grow jobs and taking on various types of contamination and environmental cleanup. 

“The subcommittee will also continue, I believe, in pursuing our important work on drinking water infrastructure, dealing with lead, dealing with PFAS and other contaminants,” the lawmaker said, referring to a class of cancer-linked chemicals. He added that the committee would also focus on hazardous waste cleanup through the Superfund and Brownfields programs.