| Folks,
The undeniable reality of climate change is exacting an incalculable toll on lives and livelihoods in every community across the country.
It is a challenge that requires us to act immediately, and one that I am committed to addressing from day one of the Biden-Harris administration.
That’s why I am proud to present to you my nominations for our climate leadership team, a tested cohort of bold thinkers who know how to pull every lever of government to take on the urgent, existential threat of climate change:
Congresswoman Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior
Haaland is a barrier-breaking public servant who has spent her career fighting for families, including in Tribal Nations, rural communities, and communities of color. Currently serving as Vice Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Haaland will be ready on day one to protect our environment and fight for a clean energy future. If confirmed, she will make history as the first-ever Native American Cabinet secretary.
Governor Jennifer Granholm as Secretary of Energy
A two-term Governor of Michigan whose work during and after her tenure has centered on creating clean energy jobs in America, Granholm’s leadership was instrumental in rescuing the U.S. auto industry, saving one million jobs, and preparing Detroit for a clean energy future.
Michael Regan as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
The current Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Regan has served in the EPA under both Democratic and Republican presidents and has a distinguished track record of bringing people together across the public, private, and non-profit sectors to advance environmental justice and seek solutions to environmental and climate challenges.
Brenda Mallory as Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality
A former General Counsel to the CEQ and current Director of Regulatory Policy at the Southern Environmental Law Center, Mallory brings deep and versatile expertise working directly with communities and partners across the public and private sectors to solve climate challenges and advance environmental protection and environmental justice. If confirmed, she would be the first African American to hold the position since its creation more than half a century ago.
Administrator Gina McCarthy as the first-ever National Climate Advisor
McCarthy will head up the newly formed White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, where she will drive an “all of government” approach to combating climate change. A leading voice on climate and environmental issues for more than 30 years, McCarthy was a driving force behind the Obama-Biden Administration's groundbreaking Clean Power Plan during her tenure as Administrator of the EPA.
Ali Zaidi as Deputy National Climate Advisor
Zaidi helped draft and implement the Obama-Biden Administration’s Climate Action Plan and negotiate the Paris Climate Agreement. Zaidi immigrated from Pakistan and grew up in the Rust Belt outside Erie, Pennsylvania.
This brilliant, tested, trailblazing team will be ready on day one to confront the existential threat of climate change with a unified national response rooted in science and equity.
They share my belief that we have no time to waste to confront the climate crisis, protect our air and drinking water, and deliver justice to communities that have long shouldered the burdens of environmental harms.
Together, on behalf of all Americans, they will meet this moment with the urgency it demands -- and seize the opportunity to build back better with good-paying union jobs, climate-resilient infrastructure, and a clean energy future that benefits every single community.
I believe in this team, and together, we will show the world that America is once again ready to take a leading role in the fight against climate change.
Thank you for reading,
Joe Biden |
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