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Bonamici Challenges Energy Secretary Perry on Climate Change, Clean Energy

June 25, 2019

WASHINGTON, DC [6/25/19] – Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici questioned Energy Secretary Rick Perry about the Department's inaction on climate change and efforts to withhold federal funding for clean energy research and development.

"Climate change is an existential threat, and it requires the full attention of the federal government," said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. "Unfortunately, the Secretary's answers today offered little hope that the Department is working to respond to the findings of the Fourth National Climate Assessment. The Department of Energy's budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2020 fails to acknowledge the gravity of the climate crisis, and it eliminates critical investments in clean energy research and development. Secretary Perry is charged with leading the Department of Energy and he should be prepared to answer all questions about programs under his jurisdiction."

Video of the Congresswoman's questions can be found here.

Bonamici, who is also a member of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, has repeatedly led efforts to hold members of the Trump administration accountable for their attacks on science and the environment. She pressed Perry on whether he agreed with the urgent findings of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, which confirmed that inaction on climate change will have serious consequences within our lifetime.

"The Fourth National Climate Assessment makes it clear that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are the most substantial factor in global warming over the past six decades," Bonamici said. "The Department of Energy is one of the thirteen federal agencies in the U.S. Global Change Research Program that contributed to the assessment… The assessment also identified that without rapid decarbonization of the world's energy systems over the next few decades, it is unlikely that we can reach the two degree Celsius warming target in the Paris Agreement. Do you agree with this finding?"

Bonamici challenged Perry's attempt to avoid answering her questions about the findings of the National Climate Assessment, on which the Department of Energy signed off, by delegating them to the Department's Under Secretary for Science. The Science, Space, and Technology Committee did not invite the Under Secretary to testify.

Bonamici also questioned Perry about the failure of the Department to spend funds appropriated by Congress for clean energy research and development. She noted that the Impoundment Control Act requires the administration to obligate funds appropriated by Congress. The administration plans to delay $353 million in prior year funding for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).

"Last year, this Committee learned through a GAO request from Chairwoman Johnson that the administration violated the Impoundment Control Act in 2017 by withholding a one-third of the budget for ARPA-E," said Congresswoman Bonamici. "You can understand why we are concerned about the same issue occurring at EERE. Will you recommit here today to distributing DOE's appropriated funds for FY19 and FY20 in accordance with Congressional intent?"

Perry agreed.

Bonamici has led efforts to highlight the alarming science on climate change.After the Trump administration tried to bury the Fourth National Climate Assessment by releasing it on a holiday weekend, Bonamici shared climate findings from the assessment every day on Twitterfor six weeks and led 96 members in calling on President Trumpto act on climate change and take heed of the findings of the Assessment.

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