Senator Murray Statement on President Biden’s Executive Actions to Combat Climate Change 

Senator Murray: “The climate crisis is here—we’re in it and that’s just the plain truth.”

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), issued the following statement on President Joe Biden’s speech announcing a series of new executive actions to combat climate change. President Biden laid out new funding opportunities for communities facing extreme heat and weather, and steps to expand offshore wind opportunities that will create good-paying jobs and lower costs for families.

“Here in Washington state, we’ve seen wildfires devastate entire communities, heat waves that made the pavement on our roads buckle, and our droughts are getting worse. The climate crisis is here—we’re in it and that’s just the plain truth,” said Senator Murray. “With these executive actions, we are taking meaningful action to protect communities against extreme heat and invest in clean energy which will set us on the path for energy independence and lower energy costs. This is a step in the right direction, but it’s still not enough. Tackling the climate crisis will require a landmark investment in climate action through Congressional action, and a whole-of-government approach that leverages the President’s full executive authority.”

In his speech, President Biden announced actions he is taking to accelerate clean energy, create jobs, and lower costs for families:

• Protect Communities from Extreme Heat and Dangerous Climate Impacts: 
  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is announcing $2.3 billion in funding for its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program for Fiscal Year 2022— the largest BRIC investment in history, boosted by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 
  • This funding will help communities increase resilience to heat waves, drought, wildfires, flood, hurricanes, and other hazards by preparing before disaster strikes. 
• Lower Cooling Costs for Communities Suffering from Extreme Heat: 
  • Today, the Department of Health and Human Services is issuing guidance that for the first time expands how the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can promote the delivery of efficient air conditioning equipment, community cooling centers, and more. 
• Expand Offshore Wind Opportunities and Jobs: 
  • The President’s Interior Department is proposing the first Wind Energy Areas in the Gulf of Mexico, a historic step toward expanding offshore wind opportunities to another region of the United States. 
  • These areas cover 700,000 acres and have the potential to power over three million homes. 

Senator Murray has made clear that Congress must take bold climate action, outlining her priorities in a July 2021 op-ed to the Seattle Times, stating, “Congress must send President Biden a landmark investment in climate action that will protect our planet for current and future generations — nothing less will cut it.” Senator Murray has rallied her colleagues in the Senate as a leader in the fight to pass bold climate action legislation and continues to press for climate action in every way possible.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Senator Murray helped pass last year will help Washington state and the country transition to cleaner energy and electric vehicles, make the electric grid more reliable, help prevent and fight wildfires, and more—all while creating good-paying, union jobs. Notably, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes Senator Murray’s Clean School Bus Act, which provides federal grants to help transition the nation’s diesel school buses to zero emission, electric buses. Senator Murray also joined President Biden in Seattle in April when he issued his Executive Order to safeguard American forests and fight climate change.

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