Environment

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives, with the support of Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01), passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which will lower costs for families, make historic investments in our clean energy future, and decrease the federal deficit. The bill passed the Senate on Sunday and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law. It was a top priority for the DelBene-led New Democrat Coalition and she was actively involved in shaping the legislation over the past year. ... Read more

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Adam Schiff (CA-28), and Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA) introduced the Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings (SWIMS) Act, legislation that would end the future capture and breeding of whales for public display. Studies have shown that certain cetaceans – specifically, orcas, beluga whales, pilot whales, and false killer whales – are cognitively, emotionally, and socially complex animals who cannot thrive in captivity. Whal... Read more

Dear friend, This year, we have seen record-setting heatwaves and wildfires in the Pacific Northwest that have threatened our local economy and unique way of life. We are running out of time in our fight against climate change, and we must take bold action to reduce carbon emissions and avoid irreversible damage to our planet. I was honored to welcome White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory to Washington state earlier this week to meet with local leaders and discuss wha... Read more

Some legislators are calling for action in the wake of a federal report on the apparent sabotage of an oil train north of Bellingham last year. That train derailed and caught fire after it split apart, then slammed into itself. A Federal Railroad Administration investigation published last week found that the train’s brakes and couplers had apparently been tampered with. Democratic Congresswoman Suzan DelBene says she’s demanding answers from BNSF Railway. “This impacts all of our communities w... Read more

Today, U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and Don Beyer (D-VA) introduced the Negate Emissions to Zero (NET Zero) Act, legislation that would substantially increase tax incentives to boost the developing direct air capture industry. DelBene and Beyer serve on the House Committee on Ways and Means, which has jurisdiction over tax policy in the House of Representatives, and which is currently writing clean energy tax incentive provisions in the Build Back Better Act. “Climate change is an e... Read more

Dear friend, This week, Washington state launched ShakeAlert, an early warning system that will help our communities in the event of an earthquake. The alert system will send real-time information straight to your phone about the magnitude and location of an earthquake, so you have time to prepare and take protective actions. Most phones already have Wireless Emergency Alerts or “Emergency Alerts” set up. You can check that these alerts are turned on in your phone’s settings—otherwise, there’s n... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) introduced a resolution with Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Don Beyer (VA-08), Terri Sewell (AL-07), and Ron Kind (WI-03) to direct the Biden administration to restart and conclude negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA). The EGA negotiations are designed to incentivize a greener global economy by eliminating tariffs globally on a range of environmental products, like wind turbines, solar water heaters, and bicycles. These negoti... Read more

Today, Congress passed the National Landslide Preparedness Act (H.R. 8810), bipartisan legislation that will help save lives, protect communities and property, and improve natural disaster emergency preparedness by targeting key gaps in science and mapping critical to understanding landslide hazards. The bill was introduced by Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) in the House of Representatives and Washington Senator Maria Cantwell in the Senate. This information will help communities plan for an... Read more

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a clean energy bill that will make long-overdue reforms to U.S. energy policy and is a major step forward in addressing the growing climate crisis. The Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act (H.R. 4447) makes new investments in clean energy, improves the efficiency of our homes, schools, and businesses, modernizes outdated infrastructure, reduces our carbon footprint, and prioritizes environmental justice. “Addressing the climate crisis, updating ou... Read more

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released the following statement after the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the Tulalip Tribes of Washington signed an agreement expanding wildlife and watershed restoration projects in northwest Washington: “I congratulate the Tulalip Tribes and U.S. Forest Service for reaching a first of its kind agreement that will preserve and revitalize our local ecosystems. We all have an interest in being good stewards of the environment and protecting the anima... Read more