MENENDEZ APPLAUDS BOXER AND LAHOOD FOR LEADERSHIP ON TRANSPORTATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing to examine the need for transportation policy as part of the effort to combat climate change, which included U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as a witness.

Last week, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who chairs the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development, held a hearing to highlight the need to include significant public transportation funding in any comprehensive climate change legislation--something the House of Representatives failed to do. Today, he praised EPW Committee Chairman Boxer and Secretary LaHood for beginning this process:

“As someone who is obviously concerned that House legislation failed to properly address the role of transportation in climate change, today’s hearing was a good start toward a better bill here in the Senate. Throughout this effort, we have to remember that transportation is responsible for nearly one third of our emissions. We need to lower the number of miles people travel by car and, in turn, lower emissions. I am encouraged by and applaud Chairman Boxer’s leadership, which will hopefully result in a significant public transportation investment through the Senate climate bill. I am also pleased to see Secretary LaHood join in this conversation, and it is my hope that we can all work together for a stronger climate change bill to heal our environment and boost the economy.”

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