Members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) voted on leadership for the 119th Congress yesterday.
U.S. Reps. Doris Matsui of California, Mike Quigley of Illinois and Paul Tonko of New York were reelected as co-chairs. Reps. Don Beyer of Virginia, Sean Casten of Illinois and Chellie Pingree of Maine were reelected as vice chairs and will be joined by Reps. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon and Mike Levin of California also as vice chairs.
“I am honored to be reelected to serve another term as Co-Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition in the 119th Congress,” Matsui said. “We are entering a perilous and challenging time for the clean energy transition, but we must rise to meet this challenge. We will continue to take bold and decisive action in fighting the climate crisis — and in fighting any attempts to undo the historic and unprecedented progress made under the Biden-Harris Administration. We will continue to push forward on clean energy innovation, on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and on advancing environmental justice throughout the country. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues in SEEC to spearhead efforts to deliver a cleaner and more resilient future for all Americans.”
Founded in January 2009, the SEEC is a coalition of 84 members of the U.S. House who are to be a focused, active and effective coalition for advancing policies that address climate change, promote clean energy innovation and domestic manufacturing, develop renewable energy resources, create family-sustaining clean jobs, protect our nation’s air, water and natural environment, and promote environmental justice.
“I’m honored to have been reelected by colleagues to serve as a SEEC Co-Chair,” Quigley said. “As we prepare to stand against the incoming administration’s attacks on our planet, this Coalition is more important than ever. I look forward to working with my colleagues to defend against those attacks and to ensure our planet remains livable for generations to come.”
The 118th Congress was a time of significant growth for SEEC, including reaching a 100-member milestone, demonstrating the resonance of SEEC’s mission to champion a positive vision for a clean economy and healthy environment for all Americans. The coalition is proud to have supported the monumental Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and CHIPS and Science Act that have ignited a clean energy boom in America, propelling $372 billion in private investments and 330,000 new jobs and counting.
SEEC’s mission for the 119th Congress is clear. The American clean energy economy is already here and, now more than ever, Congress must protect and build upon critical investments rather than backtrack and concede the burgeoning economic sector to global competitors. The members of SEEC look forward to working with a broad coalition in Congress and with outside stakeholders to advance policies that promote innovation and domestic manufacturing, develop clean energy resources, create family-sustaining clean jobs and protect the environment for generations to come.
“Over the years, SEEC has played an invaluable role in organizing House members around ambitious climate, clean energy and environmental justice policies. In this 119th Congress, that role will be more important than ever as we work to reach the full potential of our clean energy agenda advanced in the 117th Congress, while defending these transformational investments from climate deniers who seek to claw back our progress. I’m honored to serve once again as Co-Chair, and I stand ready to meet this moment and build a better, stronger, healthier planet for the generations that follow,” Tonko said.
According to Beyer, the coalition’s mission is “as momentous as it has ever been, with upcoming fights to protect the environment, maintain recent climate progress, and safeguard the booming green economy. Defending scientific research and striving to continue U.S. leadership on climate change were formative experiences for many of us who served in Congress during the first Trump Administration, and that work is more important than ever. From the outdoor economy to clean energy jobs to environmental justice, SEEC’s objectives are essential to Americans’ health and livelihoods, and I look forward to continuing this vital work with my colleagues in the 119th Congress.”
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Rebecca Barnabi
