July 25, 2022 3:00 a.m.

On Friday, Congressman Peter DeFazio joined sixty other members of Congress, led by fellow Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer, in sending President Biden a letter urging him to combat climate change by declaring a national climate emergency.

DeFazio said, “Climate change is an existential threat to humanity and every species on earth. Unless we act immediately and make substantive, far-reaching changes, we are headed toward catastrophe”. DeFazio said it is the responsibility of the federal government to maintain a livable planet by acting to reduce the severity of climate change and “…helping communities build resilience to the extreme weather events that are already here”.

A release said by declaring a national climate change emergency under the National Emergencies Act of 1976, President Biden could unlock additional executive authorities to combat the climate crisis.

The letter said, “A national emergency declaration will allow the United States to mobilize domestic industry, ramp up domestic manufacturing of clean energy technologies and deploy energy infrastructure”.

The National Climate Emergency Act has been introduced by Representatives Blumenauer and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders. The text of the legislation is linked: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/794/text