As a young kid growing up in Pacoima, California, I personally experienced the devastating effects of climate change. My neighborhood was surrounded by freeways, industrial businesses and landfills that caused many respiratory issues and other health illnesses in my community. Unfortunately, my working-class, majority Latino community has and continues to suffer disproportionately from poor air quality caused by harmful pollutants, reckless polluters and worsening wildfires caused by extreme heat and droughts. For that reason, I have dedicated the better half of my career to righting those wrongs as a public servant and most importantly as a father and grandfather, to ensure we address climate change with effective actions.
The environmental injustices that my community faces are reflective of a larger trend across our nation – climate change disproportionately affects Latino communities. Approximately 3.3 million U.S. Hispanics live within one mile of active oil and gas facilities, exposing them to significant air pollution. Latino children experience higher rates of asthma, and Latinos are 165% more likely to live in counties with unhealthy levels of particulate matter pollution. The EPA estimates that Latinos are more than 40% likely to live in places where it will frequently be too hot to work a full day outside. Since 75% of U.S. farmworkers are Latino, this disproportionately places outdoor workers at a higher risk of exposure to heat-related illnesses.
In the last four years, the Biden/Harris administration and Democrats have made significant strides in addressing climate change and ensuring environmental justice. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Administration invested in slashing emissions. In fact, due to the passage of these landmark laws, the EPA has already stood up various new programs to slash the dangerous emissions that have poisoned the air our community’s breath. These programs include, but are not limited to, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, funding to clean up contaminated Superfund sites, and the Clean School Bus Program – a program that I was proud to champion. The programs being deployed through these laws will result in tangible benefits: the IRA alone is projected to prevent 3,900 deaths and 100,000 asthma attacks by 2030 through its cuts to air pollution.
The wins for our community do not stop there. Since President Biden signed the IRA into law in 2022, it has already created over 330,000 clean energy jobs nationwide. By 2030, it’s estimated that the IRA will not only drastically cut our nation’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, but double our nation’s clean energy workforce, creating up to 1.5 million jobs, and save the average American taxpayer $1,000 annually in energy costs.
The investments that the current Administration has made will build a clean energy economy that works for everyone and leaves no one behind. Latino families and communities have already seen the benefits of these opportunities at work, notably through pathways to stable, well-paying careers in the renewable energy sector. To me, that means families in my district will now have access to reliable careers that will serve them for years to come as technology advances.
One of the EPA’s investments that I feel especially proud of is the Clean School Bus program. In 2021, I worked with Congresswoman Jahana Hayes and Senators Alex Padilla and Raphael Warnock to introduce the Clean Commute for Kids Act. The bill, which directly addressed the harmful diesel pollution that impacts the health and well-being of our children, schoolteachers, and communities, inspired the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s (IIJA) Clean School Bus Program. I am thrilled that not only will my grandchildren benefit from this significant investment, but generations of kids will also benefit from proactive decisions we’ve recently taken.
In stark contrast, the previous administration’s record and proposed policies included withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, rolling back emission standards, and reduced funding for renewable energy. I saw how those policies hurt my community and often resulted in significant economic benefit for the Oil and Gas industry. My community was tired of getting short changed while big Oil and Gas sold our health for profit. Looking to the future, for the sake of our kids, we cannot go back.
As we approach deciding our next leaders, any proposals that threaten to dismantle our significant climate and economic progress under the current administration should not be taken lightly. Our community has benefitted from new jobs, vast resources, economic growth, and most critically the promise of clean air for our children under recent advancements in climate legislation. Before we let our communities be sold to the highest bidder, we should be deeply aware how our communities lose when corporations prioritize profit over environmental regulations specifically designed to protect our communities.
The Latino community is especially impacted by the ramifications of corporate greed. We must be cognizant of policies that attempt to skirt by environmental regulations that are designed to protect our communities. As we look to preserve a planet suitable for our kids like my own grandchildren, it is essential to support policies and leaders who prioritize climate action and sustainable development. I am proud of the recent progress that I have been privileged to champion and will continue to fight for our environment and future. This is the moment to build off our significant progress in climate legislation and continue to rally around solutions that will ensure a healthy planet for our youth.
