Congressman Jason Crow Statement on President Biden’s Build Back Better Event in Colorado

CROW: Together We Will Address the Climate Crisis and Create Millions of Jobs While We Do it

GOLDEN – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06) today released the following statement after attending President Joe Biden's Build Back Better event at National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO where Biden discussed climate provisions in his plans that include tax incentives for clean energy and electric vehicles, investments to transition the economy away from fossil fuels and toward renewable sources such as wind and solar power, and creation of a civilian climate corps.

"The climate crisis is already here and folks in our community are bearing the brunt of it. As we face wildfires, droughts, mudslides, and some of the worst air quality in the world, the time for action is now. President Biden is leading on this issue and I was honored to join him in Golden today as he outlined the future of clean energy -- which means more jobs in Colorado.

"Building a clean and sustainable future will not only help us make good on our climate goals, it will give us a once-in-a-generation chance to create good-paying jobs and boost our economy. I'm proud to have led in that effort with Senator Bennet as we advance our Outdoor Restoration Partnership Act – which will help create more than two million jobs by investing in forest and watershed restoration. I look forward to working with our colleagues and President Biden to pass that legislation, and other key clean energy efforts, in the upcoming infrastructure and reconciliation packages.

"The science is clear: there is a short window to drastically reduce our emissions and avoid the worst impacts of this crisis. The alternative would be devastating to our planet, and to Colorado. We stand with President Biden and people across Colorado to tackle our climate goals and create a sustainable and inclusive future."

Background:

Today's event comes just over one month following the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report from the United Nations, which warns that the world is likely to overshoot 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming within the next 20 or 30 years, even under scenarios where greenhouse gas emissions fall significantly.

Congressman Crow has long been a champion for climate reform to achieve US climate goals and slow global warming. Most recently, Crow and US Senator Bennet introduced theOutdoor Restoration Partnership Act, which would help create or sustain over two million jobs in the outdoors by investing in forest and watershed restoration.

Additionally, Congressman Crow believes a sustainable future must be an equitable future. Electric vehicle infrastructure has not been distributed equitably thus far, as zip codes with higher median incomes often have higher per capita electric vehicle chargers. That's why Congressman Crow introduced the Community Vehicle Charging Act to establish a $375 million grant program at the Department of Transportation for projects that address barriers to accessing electric vehicle charging infrastructure over the next five years.

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