The threat that climate change poses to our national security cannot be overstated. It is fueling conflict over resources in East Africa, it is instigating a refugee crisis for the millions who will be displaced due to rising oceans and increasing numbers of natural disasters, and it is putting the men and women in uniform at risk as it impedes military training and alters operational plans. We must do everything we can to meet this global challenge head-on. We need to push back on policies of blanket environmental deregulation.

I led legislation to update military installations and technology to improve fuel security and ensure our armed forces are prepared for the effects of climate change. I believe that a sustainable approach to building greener communities is investing in modern transit to take cars off the road and decrease emissions. 

I also have worked to conserve the vital ecosystem that is the Chesapeake Bay through wildlife protections like the “The Chesapeake Bay Oyster Research Act” and as a co-sponsor of legislation to reauthorize the federal Chesapeake Bay Program. I, along with the Maryland Congressional Delegation, recently secured 3.6 billion dollars in federal funding to support habitat restoration, management, and research for Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed. 

I have a long history of advocating for environmental reform, and I will continue to fight to preserve the health of the Chesapeake Bay, protect the Arctic Circle, and defend our public lands for future generations of Marylanders.