Congratulations on Your Win As Speaker of the House. As You
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Speaker Pelosi and the 116th Congress: Congratulations on your win as Speaker of the House. As you prepare to establish your priorities for the new Congress and Democratic House majority, we would like to thank you for your leadership on the fight to address climate change and ask for your continued support in the first 100 days of the 116th Congress. Businesses, communities, and American families who have been leading the way are looking forward to having a partner in the federal government as we address the shared U.S. and global challenge of climate change. Reports released last year, including the Trump administration's own 4th National Climate Assessment (NCA) and the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, show that climate change is already having a drastic impact on our health and our economy. These reports only further underscore the need to take action now. Since President Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement nearly two years ago, we, the undersigned governors, mayors, county executives, tribal leaders, businesses, faith groups, investors, hospitals and healthcare systems, and nonprofit organizations have joined forces to tell the world that we are still committed to meeting America's pledge on climate. In the absence of federal leadership, 3,600 leaders from states, cities, businesses, faith communities, and healthcare, representing more than half of the U.S. economy and population, are working locally to adopt and meet targets for reducing the pollution driving climate change - cutting 500 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2025 if targets are fully implemented. As the NCA and other recent reports predict, the impacts of climate change will become even more catastrophic if we continue to ignore this imminent threat. That's why we are already taking action to meet our U.S. commitments to reduce carbon pollution and we are finding innovative ways to adapt to the impacts we are already experiencing. Developing solutions to limit the effects of climate change makes good economic sense and is necessary to protect citizens, workers, and communities, particularly communities of color and vulnerable populations like the elderly, the young, pregnant women, and those living close to pollution sources who are most directly affected by the devastating impacts of climate change. The businesses, health care systems, and communities moving forward with clean energy solutions are already seeing the benefits. Since June 2017, the U.S. has added enough renewable energy to power more than 3 million homes for a year. States are implementing policies that could save customers $16 billion per year by 2035, investing in energy efficiency and saving consumers 7.3 percent on their electricity bills. Governors in key states are asserting ambitious leadership on climate and clean energy. The U.S. Climate Alliance now includes 21 governors from both parties who are committed to meeting their states' Paris Accord climate goals. Hundreds of mayors in almost every state in the country are committing to a range of climate actions, including committing their cities to 100 percent clean energy. Governors and mayors across the country have also committed to reducing emissions from transportation, the top source of climate pollution, including supporting strong federal vehicle standards and investing billions to begin transitioning their vehicle fleets to electric vehicles, demonstrating to auto manufacturers that there is a committed market for zero-pollution vehicles. This new Congress has a tremendous opportunity in its first 100 days to protect our health, economy, and position of leadership on the global stage. And you have the opportunity to address the inequality and injustice that exists in this country by investing in solutions that ensure communities bearing the worst brunt of pollution are invested in and benefit from the transition to clean energy. Thank you for your attention to the urgent issue of climate change. We look forward to working with you on an ambitious climate agenda. Sincerely, State and Local Officials Allison Dahle North Carolina State Representative, District 11 Andrea Olsen Montana State Representative, District 100 Anthony Coghill Pittsburgh Councilman, District 4 Arlene Wanatosky Mayor of Homer City, PA Brigid Shea Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 2 Cecil Brockman North Carolina State Representative, District 60 Cecil Brockman North Carolina State Representative, District 60 Christine Clarke Jefferson Township Democratic Committee Chair Christopher Smith Robeson Township Environmental Chair, PA Christy Clark North Carolina State Representative, District 98 Danene Sorace Mayor of Lancaster, PA David Fraser-Hidalgo Maryland State Representative, District 15 David H. Watters New Hampshire State Senator, District 4 David Meuse New Hampshire State Representative, Rockingham 29 Deborah Butler North Carolina State Representative, District 18 Denise Tepler Maine State Representative, District 54 Donald Hahn Mayor of State College, PA Doug Roberts Portsmouth City Councilor, NH Elizabeth “Liz” Thomson New Mexico State Representative, District 24 Emily Marburger Mayor of Bellevue, PA Ethan Berkowitz Mayor of Anchorage, AK Ethan Strimling Mayor of Portland, ME Floyd B. McKissick Jr. New Hampshire State Senator, District 20 Graig Meyer North Carolina State Representative, District 50 Grier Martin North Carolina State Representative, District 34 Harper Peterson North Carolina State Senator, District 9 James S. Marpe First Selectman of Westport, CT Jay Chaudhuri North Carolina State Senator, District 15 Jeanne Sorg Mayor of Ambler, PA Joe Sam Queen North Carolina State Representative, District 119 Joe Schember Mayor of Erie, PA John Ager North Carolina State Representative, District 115 John Autry North Carolina State Representative, District 100 Josh Maxwell Mayor of Downingtown, PA Kirk deViere New Hampshire State Senator, District 19 Lauren Kuby Vice Mayor of Tempe, AZ Lee Walker Oxenham New Hampshire State Representative, Sullivan 1 Lily Mei Mayor of Fremont, CA Lucy Vinis Mayor of Eugene, OR Marcia Morey North Carolina State Representative, District 30 Marita Garrett Mayor of Wilkinsburg, PA Mark Barbee Mayor of Bridgeport, PA Mark Higgins Centre County Commissioner, PA Martin Fox Wiscasset Conservation Commission Member, CT Mary Casillas Salas Mayor of Chula Vista, VA Matthew V. Rudzki Mayor of Sharpsburg, PA Mayor Robert J. Donchez Mayor of Bethlehem, PA Michael Garrett North Carolina State Senator, District 27 Michelle Dunphy Maine State Representative, District 122 Noam Bramson Mayor of New Rochelle, NY Patricia A. Fahy New York State Assemblymember Ras J. Baraka Mayor of Newark, NJ Rebecca J. McWilliams New Hampshire State Representative, Merrimack 27 Rep. MaryAnn Black North Carolina State Representative, District 29 Rep. Nasif Majeed North Carolina State Representative, District 40 Rep. Rosa Gill North Carolina State Representative, District 33 Richard Elias Pima County Board of Supervisors Chairman and District 5 Supervisor Robert Reives North Carolina State Representative, District 54 Robert Wittenberg Michigan State Representative, District 27 Ron Strouse Mayor of Doylestown, PA Salvatore J. Panto, Jr. Mayor of Easton, PA Sam Searcy North Carolina State Senator, District 17 Samantha Paradis Mayor of Belfast, ME Senator Mimi Stewart New Mexico State Senator, District 17 Stanley Paige Zeigler Maine State Representative, District 96 State Rep. Zack Hawkins State Representative, NC House 31 Sue Errington Indiana State Representative, District 34 Susan C. Fisher North Carolina State Representative, District 114 Suzanne Jones Mayor of Boulder, CO Terence Everitt North Carolina State Representative, District 35 Terry Van Duyn North Carolina State Senator, District 49 Theodore H. Streeter Mayor of Gettysburg, PA Valerie Foushee North Carolina State Senator, District 23 Verla Insko North Carolina State Representative, District 56 Victor De Luca Mayor of Maplewood, NJ Wesley Harris North Carolina State Representative, District 105 Wiley Nickel New Hampshire State Senator, District 16 William Peduto Mayor of Pittsburgh, PA Organizations, Businesses, and Academic and Faith Institutions 22 Designs (Driggs, ID) 350 Ventura County Climate Hub (Ventura, CA) Abbe Museum (Bar Harbor, ME) Action Together New Jersey Action Together NJ Atlantic County Addison New York Adorers of the Blood of Christ, US Region (St. Louis, MO) Agan Design (Philadelphia, PA) Agribody Technologies, Inc. (San Diego, CA) Alabama Interfaith Power and Light Alaska Interfaith Power and Light AlphaGlider (San Francisco, CA) American Association of Community Psychiatrists American Society of Landscape Architects Amicus Green Building Center, LLC (Kensington, MD) Aphra Communications (Brooklyn, NY) Arctic Solar Ventures Corporation (Anchorage, AK) Arizona Interfaith Power & Light Austin College (Sherman, TX) Bates College (Lewiston, ME) Bates College Environmental Coalition (Lewiston, ME) Benjamin Visuals (Warren, OH) Biohabitats, Inc. (Baltimore, MD) Bluesource (Salt Lake City, UT) Bonn Place Brewing Co. (Bethlehem, PA) Bora Architects (Portland, OR) Breaking Ground Contracting (Jacksonville, FL) Brewery Vivant (Grand Rapids, MI) Bucks County Audubon Society (New Hope, PA) Bucks Environmental Action (Feasterville, PA) Business Leaders for Climate Action (Cambridge, MA) By The Numbers (West Decatur, PA) Candace M.P. Smith Architect, PC (Charlottesville, VA) Carmelite