February 27, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 36 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S1530-S1531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Nomination of Andrew Wheeler

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, as we are considering the leadership of 
the Environmental Protection Agency, I think we should pause a moment 
to recognize this administration's record on the environment--or should 
I say the missed opportunities--and what this administration has done 
in moving America in the wrong direction on environmental protection. 
This administration's record in dealing with the greatest challenge we 
have--global climate change--is deplorable.
  I had the opportunity to lead a delegation of 10 Members of the 
Senate to the Paris climate talks in which U.S. leadership demonstrated 
our ability to get universal consensus that climate change is real, is 
happening, that it is primarily caused by the activities we do here on 
Earth, and that we can make a difference in the trajectory of climate 
change and the impact it will have on our lives. If we follow what 
science tells us, we can change the course for the better for future 
generations.
  I saw in Paris the importance of U.S. leadership. We had been trying 
for a long time to get a global agreement to deal with this challenge. 
It wasn't until America's leadership in Paris that we were able to get 
a global consensus. In fact, every country in the world signed on to 
the Paris Agreement and recognized that every nation has the 
responsibility to respond because what happens in the environment knows 
no state boundaries--we are all in this together.
  Then there was the election of Donald Trump as President of the 
United States. One of his first actions was to withdraw America from 
the Paris climate agreement. America became the only Nation in the 
world not to be part of the global effort to deal with climate change.
  Our leadership was now going to be lost, but the Trump administration 
didn't stop there. They have withdrawn the powerplant rules even though 
it was in 2007 that the Supreme Court, in Massachusetts v. EPA, 
determined that carbon dioxide is a dangerous air pollutant and is 
required to be regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency under 
the clean air rules. Yet the administration is moving in the other 
direction as it relates to clean air.
  They did the same thing with water. The Supreme Court issued certain 
decisions in regard to regulated waters. It required Congress to act. 
Congress didn't act. The administration under President Obama issued 
regulations that were similar to what we had before the Supreme Court 
decision, and now the Trump administration has withdrawn those 
regulations as they relate to clean water.
  The list goes on. The Trump administration is now backing down on 
CAFE standards. That is energy efficiencies

[[Page S1531]]

in our automobiles. Maryland is one of 12 States under section 177 that 
follow California's tougher standards. That is now being jeopardized by 
the Trump administration.
  As we are considering the leadership of the Environmental Protection 
Agency, we have to recognize that the Trump administration has moved us 
in the wrong direction. We take pride that with every administration, 
Congress adds to the protections we have for clean air and clean water 
and dealing with our environment. Yet we find with this President, the 
opposite is true. That puts special responsibility on us in Congress. 
We have to fill that vacuum. Yet the Republican leadership in Congress 
has made no effort to bring forward legislation to deal with climate 
change. They have not acknowledged that climate change is real. They 
have not acknowledged that our activities here are the primary cause of 
climate change. They have not acknowledged that science tells us that 
if we do the right thing, we can affect for the better the impact of 
climate change in our communities. All that has been denied by this 
administration.
  What we should do is bring forward comprehensive legislation to 
reduce greenhouse gases. We should put a true cost on carbon. Let the 
market forces help solve the problems we have here. We should provide 
for the continued efficiency of the transportation sector. We should 
restore America's leadership. That is what this Congress should be 
considering. Yet under Republican leadership, we have had no 
opportunity to consider comprehensive legislation in this area.
  If we acted, it would be good for our environment. There is no 
question about that. Why should we all be concerned about that? Let me 
give some examples from my State of Maryland. Over the last 50 years, 
Maryland has experienced a 70-percent increase in rainfall. Tell the 
people of Ellicott City, who have experienced two 1,000-year floods in 
the last 20-month period. These are floods that they have never seen 
before in their lifetime. A large amount of rain that fell in a very 
short period of time caused tremendous damage to the people of Ellicott 
City. Tell the 13 million people who are in danger of being displaced 
by the end of this century because of rising sea levels. Tell the 
people in the Western United States whose homes were taken by 
wildfires. We need to act. It would be good for our environment.
  I am proud to be one of the Senators who represent the Chesapeake Bay 
Watershed. There are 18 million people who live in the Chesapeake Bay 
Watershed. We see a rise in the sea level. This is a vulnerable body of 
water.
  The warming of the Chesapeake Bay is causing the loss of seagrasses 
that are important for the aquatic life. The salinity of the bay is 
being diminished because of more freshwater, and that is affecting the 
ecology of the bay. Algae growths are greater and longer because of the 
warm waters. All of that affects the Chesapeake Bay. If we respond to 
climate change, we have a much better chance of improving the quality 
of the Chesapeake Bay, which is critically important for the way of 
life for the people who live in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
  It is also, by the way, an important economic issue. If we do what is 
right and respond to climate change, we will also be helping our 
economy. The Chesapeake Bay alone adds $1 trillion to our economy. A 
clean bay helps our economy. Green energy creates jobs--many more jobs 
than do traditional fossil fuels.
  It also is good for our national security. If we use more of the 
renewables and fewer fossil, we as a nation will be stronger from the 
point of view of not being dependent on other countries that don't 
agree with our way of life for supplying energy needs not only to us 
but to our allies around the world--to the democratic countries around 
the world. It makes sense.
  As we are considering the future leadership of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, let us recommit ourselves to recognizing that we 
have responsibilities to advance these environmental issues and implore 
upon the Republican leadership to bring forward comprehensive 
legislation that, in fact, will make a significant difference on the 
trajectory of climate change here in the United States and will restore 
America's global leadership on this critically important issue.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cramer). The Senator from Maryland.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I start by associating myself with the 
remarks of my friend, the senior Senator from the State of Maryland, 
Mr. Cardin, both with respect to the vital importance of moving forward 
on climate change legislation here in the Senate and with respect to my 
opposition to the nomination of Mr. Wheeler. I think we need somebody 
at the head of the EPA who is going to make the issue of climate change 
and other vital environmental issues a priority.