WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement after news reports that there will not be a 50th Senate vote for climate action in reconciliation:
“Progressives have fought tooth and nail for the President’s and the Democratic Party’s agenda. Unfortunately, the Senator from West Virginia has consistently worked to undermine it, blocking action on a number of priorities from child care, to housing, and now climate change.
“His latest comments highlight the consequences of not taking climate action — and they are nothing short of catastrophic. Already, this single biggest crisis of our time is having devastating impacts on frontline communities, with West Virginia at the greatest risk of flooding of any other state in the country. The data continues to pile up: we are quickly running out of time to avert climate disaster.
“It is simply untenable that one senator can dictate the course for the entire country, condemn future generations to life on a warming planet, and rob the United States of a chance to act as a climate leader on the world stage. We need institutional, systemic reform to break us out of this cycle, specifically on two fronts. First, we need two more Democratic senators so we can break the stranglehold of the Jim Crow filibuster, pass legislation that will deliver for the working people of this country, and meet the existential urgency of addressing climate change. Second, we need to institute ethics and transparency reform, like my bill with Senator Warren, to ensure that every member of Congress is working for the people, and not their own personal interests.”