Skip to Content

Climate Change and the Environment

Chairs DeFazio, Napolitano, and Beyer Lead 117 House Colleagues in Urging the Biden Administration to Finalize Science-Based Clean Water Rule

| Posted in Press Releases

Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), Chair of the Joint Economic Committee Don Beyer (D-VA) and 117 representatives yesterday wrote to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) urging them to swiftly…

Chairman Beyer on House Passage of America COMPETES Act

| Posted in Press Releases

Today, Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), Chairman of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), released the following statement after the House passed the America COMPETES Act (H.R. 4521). The Senate’s companion bill, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in June 2021. “Manufacturing has long been a core strength of the American economy,…

Safe Climate Caucus Co-Chairs’ Statement on NOAA 2021 Climate Report

| Posted in Press Releases

Safe Climate Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) today issued the following statement regarding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s report that 2021 was the United States’ fourth warmest year on record, with 20 climate disasters that killed at least 688 people and cost an estimated $145 billion. They wrote: “NOAA’s newly released data…

Beyer Statement On Appointment Of Andrew Wheeler

| Posted in Press Releases

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who serves on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, issued the following statement today on reports that Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin intends to appoint former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler to serve as Virginia’s next Secretary of Natural Resources: “Andrew Wheeler is one of the worst people the…

Beyer Statement On Passing Of Dr. E.O. Wilson

| Posted in Press Releases

December 27, 2021 (Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) today celebrated the life of famed biologist Dr. E.O. Wilson, who passed away yesterday at the age of 92. Beyer and Wilson first met in 2016 to discuss legislation based on Wilson’s work, which Beyer later introduced as the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act. “Dr. E.O. Wilson was one of the greatest scientists of our time.…

Bipartisan Delegation Seeks Emergency ESA Gray Wolf Listing Protections

| Posted in Press Releases

December 15, 2021 (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), and Peter DeFazio (D-OR) today led a bipartisan group of 78 Representatives urging the Department of the Interior to “immediately issue an emergency listing to temporarily restore federal protections through the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to the gray wolf.” They wrote: “While we…

Beyer Statement On Youngkin RGGI Announcement

| Posted in Press Releases

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who represents a Northern Virginia district in the U.S. House and serves as co-chair of the Safe Climate Caucus, strongly objected today to Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin’s announcement that he would withdraw Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). “Withdrawing from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative would mean Glenn Youngkin’s…

House Passes Historic Infrastructure Legislation

| Posted in Press Releases

On the evening of November 5 the House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. Passage of this historic legislation containing the largest physical infrastructure investment in decades is a major win for the country, and will create large numbers of jobs and deliver significant improvements for communities…

Beyer Statement On USFWS Status Review Of Gray Wolf

| Posted in Press Releases

September 16, 2021 (Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) today welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that it “will initiate a comprehensive status review of the gray wolf in the western U.S.,” but expressed concern that delay would lead to unnecessary deaths of the recently delisted species. Beyer led a bipartisan House delegation of 85 Representatives in…

Beyer: Build Back Better Act "Will Be The Single Most Important Piece Of Climate Legislation" We Have Ever Had The Chance To Pass

| Posted in Press Releases

September 14, 2021 (Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means and is the Chair of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee, delivered opening remarks today on the third day of the Ways and Means Committee’s markup of the Build Back Better Act. Beyer’s remarks as prepared for delivery (video of remarks as delivered here): Thank you, Mr.…