PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE RELATING TO "ENDANGERED AND THREATENED...
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2023-5-3

I want to start off by thanking you for your good work on this subject--this important subject--at issue. prgtoken I rise today because our critical work to combat the harmful effects of climate change is at risk. I am particularly concerned about the efforts some of our colleagues are undertaking to make even more dire the situation that our planet already faces, make it worse. prgtoken Every day that goes by, we hear about the horrific scenes that are caused by natural disasters--wildfires in the West and in the Northeast; flooding and hurricanes in the South; tornadoes like the ones we had just last month in Sussex County, DE--the southern part of our State--that took a life; along with countless tornadoes across the Northwest. The list goes on and on and on. prgtoken These disasters are devastating families not just in my State, not just in your State, but also in States across our country, and wreaking havoc on our economy. prgtoken Over 3.3 million Americans were displaced due to natural disasters last year. prgtoken Let me say that again. Over 3.3 million Americans were displaced due to natural disasters. prgtoken On top of that, billions of dollars are spent every year--billions of dollars spent every year--in the aftermath of these disasters. That is double the number of people in Montana and Vermont combined. prgtoken Let me say that again. That is double the number of people in Montana and Vermont combined. prgtoken We cannot sit idly by, like some of our colleagues today would have us do, or allow for a reversal of the policies that are working to mitigate this devastation. prgtoken As we all know, the solar industry has been critical in helping us combat the effects of climate change. By transitioning to cleaner energy solutions, we are taking the necessary steps to reduce our impact--the human impact--on our warming planet. prgtoken The solar industry is not just good for our planet; it is good for American workers--a lot of them. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created right here on our own American soil to grow the solar energy and strengthen our supply chain. prgtoken The Inflation Reduction Act took these efforts one step further, allocating the largest investment we have ever made in the solar industry. The Inflation Reduction Act is already creating more jobs for more Americans across our country, while expanding our domestic solar manufacturing capacity. prgtoken With the commitment of the administration, we are on track to increase domestic solar panel manufacturing capacity eightfold by the end of next year, generating up to $40 billion in new investments. prgtoken Let me say that again. We can increase our domestic solar panel manufacturing eightfold by the end of next year. prgtoken Why would we get in the way of that progress? We can only ensure that this outcome is possible if we overcome the significant challenge presented here today. prgtoken As you might remember,