Underwood’s Climate and Health Protection Act Included in House Climate Crisis Action Plan

WASHINGTON— Today, Representative Lauren Underwood's (IL-14) legislation, the Climate and Health Protection Act, was included in the Unveiling of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis' comprehensive congressional climate action framework. The Committee's framework highlights Underwood's proposal to strengthen national public health planning by reinstating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Climate and Health Program, an important tool in communities' response to the climate crisis.

"We cannot ignore the serious environmental, economic, and public health risks of climate change. In northern Illinois, we have already seen the devastating impacts of climate change, as heavy rainfall has caused record-breaking flooding across the Midwest. We must act now," said Rep. Underwood. "It is essential that Congress works to restore essential programs like the Climate and Health Program. I'm pleased the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis has included my proposal to help local communities address emerging health threats brought on by climate change."

The Select Committee's climate action framework outlines ambitious and achievable policies to:

• Grow our economy and put Americans back to work in clean energy jobs
• Protect the health of all families
• Make sure our communities and farmers can withstand the impacts of climate change
• Protect America's land and water for future generations

The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis was created at the outset of the 116th Congress to deliver policy recommendations to other House committees on how to solve the climate crisis. The Select Committee's plan would put the country on a path to net-zero carbon pollution by 2050. It would power economic recovery through clean energy investment and family-sustaining jobs, and address the legacy of environmental injustice harming America's low-income communities and communities of color. Underwood's legislation to protect Americans from the harmful health impacts of climate change is a crucial piece of this plan.

In Congress, Underwood has continuously advocated for meaningful, long-term solutions to climate change. In November 2019, Underwood testified before the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis to advocate for her legislation the Climate and Health Protection Act (H.R. 3819). The Climate and Health Protection Act, which Underwood introduced in June 2019, would reestablish the Control and Prevention's (CDC) Climate and Health Program. The bill would provide additional funding to strengthen the program and help local communities address and mitigate the harmful public health effects of climate change.

The full Select Committee report is viewable here.

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