Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) announced the introduction of several sustainability bills that will leverage the resources of the federal government to support a renewable energy economy and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the federal transportation and infrastructure sectors.
“As a member of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, I am keenly aware of the urgency of addressing the climate crisis,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “These bills will ensure the federal government is doing its part to fight climate change, while serving as a catalyst for innovation, using taxpayer dollars more efficiently, and working with stakeholders to do the same.”
Green Federal Fleet Act
This bill would require all new, passenger vehicles purchased or leased by the federal government to be zero-emission vehicles. The bill includes a reasonable exemption for agencies should unique circumstances make the purchase of zero-emission vehicles not feasible.
“By making the federal government a leader in zero-emission vehicle deployment, we can reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, spur private-sector development of zero-emission vehicle technology, and pave the way for a national transition to a cleaner transportation sector,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “In his Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, President Biden directed his administration to establish a comprehensive federal procurement plan that would prioritize zero-emission vehicles for all government fleets. My bill would codify this order in statute.”
Read the text of the bill, here.
Green Energy for Federal Buildings Act
This bill would require the federal government to increase the amount of renewable energy it consumes to 35% of its total electricity share by 2030, 75% by 2040, and 100% by 2050. This bill would also encourage – to the maximum extent possible – that the federal government use renewable energy that is produced on-site at federal facilities, on federal lands, or on Native American lands.
“The federal government is the single largest purchaser of electricity in the country,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “Pushing the government to procure more of its electricity from renewable sources would provide a large and important boost to the burgeoning industry. While renewables like wind and solar have made great strides, all of the models agree that if we’re going to keep global temperature increases to below 1.5 degrees Celsius, we have to accelerate this transition.”
Read the text of the bill, here.
Surface Transportation Investment Act
For decades, the gas tax was the primary mechanism to fund federal surface transportation investments, but it has not been indexed to inflation or increased since 1993. As a result, the Highway Trust Fund is running dry. Congress must find new sources of revenue in the near term if we are to keep and maintain our FAST Act commitments to fund highway and transit projects. This bill would eliminate tax subsidies for big oil and instead direct those revenues to the Surface Transportation Block Grant program. Eliminating subsidies to big oil will ensure that the federal government is not subsidizing dirty, carbon emitting, fossil fuel producers.
“Big oil has reaped huge profits from taxpayer investments in infrastructure, and it’s time they be asked to invest some of those profits back into our roads, bridges, and transit systems,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “This bill will help strengthen our nation’s crumbling transportation infrastructure and provide much-needed federal resources to our local communities to make critical repairs to local projects. Investing in our infrastructure will reduce congestion on our roadways, reduce emissions from vehicles idling in traffic, and improve the quality of life in our communities.”
Read the text of the bill, here.
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Issues: 117th Congress, Climate Crisis, Energy and Environment, Transportation and Infrastructure