On Global Day Of Action, Heinrich Stands In Solidarity With Youth Activists Around The World In Demanding Climate Action

WASHINGTON (Sept. 24, 2021) - As young people in New Mexico and around the world call for action on climate change today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is doubling down on his support for both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and budget reconciliation that make up the Build Back Better Plan.

“The youth of our nation – our planet – are rallying today with a battle cry, declaring that their future depends on their elected leaders’ acting on the climate crisis. I will not let this call fall on deaf ears,” said Heinrich. “Congress has every opportunity right now, every tool at its disposal, to make once-in-a-lifetime investments to truly address the ever-growing impacts of the climate crisis. It’s time to pass meaningful legislation that leaves our children with a healthier planet – and the Build Back Better Plan is our best hope. The time for climate action is now.”

Senator Heinrich has spent decades working to build a clean energy economy. He is fighting for investments in the Build Back Better Plan to help communities confront the climate crisis head on, move the clean energy transition forward, and power New Mexico’s economic recovery. 

Last week, Senator Heinrich spoke at a rally outside the U.S. Capitol highlighting the urgent need for Congress to pass the Build Back Better Plan that includes critical climate investments and creates a carbon-free economy.

“Passing the Build Back Better Plan, which means both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and budget reconciliation, will shape our future economy while also responding to the urgent climate crisis we face. We must use this opportunity to fund ambitious climate and clean energy provisions, including establishing a Civilian Climate Corps, a clean electricity payment program, a clean energy technology accelerator, consumer rebates for electrification, and clean energy tax credits,” said Heinrich. 

On Wednesday, Senator Heinrich, Vice Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, led a hearing to examine how the electrification of homes and buildings can help families and small businesses save money, improve health outcomes, and serve as a critical investment in the fight to address the long-term effects of climate change.

In June, Senator Heinrich championed into law a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which nullifies the Trump administration’s 2020 Methane Rescission Rule and reinstates U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for methane emissions from the oil and gas industry and the regulation of air pollution from transmission and storage facilities.

In May, Senator Heinrich introduced legislation to assist federal fossil fuel producing states like New Mexico as revenues decline in the coming years due to market forces and policies to curb carbon pollution. The Schools and State Budgets Certainty Act would provide a predictable transition for states, counties, and Tribes and give those governments time to transition their budgets to more sustainable and reliable sources of revenue. This is part of a larger effort by Senator Heinrich to develop concrete solutions to help states plan for revenue replacement and create targeted, place-specific programs for career re-training and economic diversification.

Senator Heinrich is a cosponsor of the Clean Energy for America Act that would end fossil fuel subsidies. When passed, it would simplify the nation's energy tax code by ending direct tax credits for oil and natural gas and replace 44 different tax deductions for energy sources with three technology-neutral tax credits. The measure also includes Senator Heinrich’s legislation to establish investment tax credits for energy storage, the Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act of 2021, and new transmission projects, the Electric Power Infrastructure Improvement Act. 

Senator Heinrich also introduced legislation to establish a Civilian Climate Corps to provide national service opportunities to a new generation and help power our economic recovery. He is also a cosponsor of the Oil and Gas Bonding Reform and Orphaned Well Remediation Act that takes a two-step approach to address the risk that orphaned wells pose to watersheds, wildlife, and livestock; reduce the burden on local governments; modernize federal standards; and cut powerful methane pollution while creating good-paying jobs.

“This rising generation of climate activists understands what we’re up against, and is willing to propose the kind of bold changes that equal the scale of that problem. Unlike previous generations who have denied climate change, I strongly believe that these young people are going to be the critical catalyst for solving this issue,” said Heinrich. “I stand in solidarity with the students and activists around the world today who are demanding action on the climate crisis.”