My efforts in Congress to protect our environment has consistently earned me a nearly 100 percent rating from the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters

I have also received the Sierra Club Los Angeles Chapter's Public Policy Award for helping to secure federal funds to protect open space in the Santa Monica Mountains

Below are some of my recent efforts in Congress to protect our environment and preserve our planet for future generations

Since its original introduction, I have supported the Green New Deal to establish a 10-year national mobilization effort to reduce the use of fossil fuels, provide clean air, create millions of high-paying jobs, and support infrastructure investments while promoting justice and equity. 

I co-sponsored the Climate Emergency Act, which will require the President to declare a national climate emergency under the National Emergencies Act, and take active steps to mitigate the climate crisis.

I also co-sponsored The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. The bill imposes a fee on the carbon content of fuels, including crude oil, natural gas, and coal, or any other product derived from those fuels that emits greenhouse gases.

The carbon fee increases each year, and 100% of the net revenues are returned to the American people.

I co-sponsored The West Coast Ocean Protection Act, which would prohibit the Department of Interior from issuing a lease for the production of oil or natural gas off the coast of California.     

I co-sponsored the End Polluter Welfare Act, which would save American taxpayers up to $150 billion over the next ten years by abolishing dozens of tax loopholes, subsidies, and other special interest giveaways for polluters in the federal tax code.

I joined with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke to introduce the CLOSE Act, which closes a loophole in the Clean Air Act that allows oil and gas producers to skirt emissions regulations.

The bill repeals the current exemption for emissions coming from oil and gas sources.

I joined with Congressman Alan Lowenthal to introduce the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, which creates new requirements and incentives to reduce the production of plastics, and increases recycling efforts by making producers of single-use plastics financially responsible for collecting and recycling their products after consumer use.

We need more investment in water recycling and water reuse projects.

I have once again co-sponsored the Water Recycling Investment and Improvement Act, to make permanent the Bureau of Reclamation's grant program, which will increase federal funding for critical water reuse and recycling efforts.

I helped introduce the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, which gives the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to protect groundwater sources by cracking down on harmful hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as fracking.

I joined with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky to introduce the Safe Hydration is an American Right in Energy Development Act, which amends the Safe Drinking Act to require the testing of underground sources of drinking water that could be potentially contaminated by hydraulic fracturing operations.

I supported the Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act, which will reauthorize funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

I joined my colleagues in formally requesting an increase in funding for these vital conservation programs.

During my first year in Congress, I passed the Sherman Amendment to the Budget Resolution to provide an additional $700 million to the Land and Water Conservation Fund to buy new lands for our national park system.

I also co-sponsored the F-AIR Act, which directs the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure the minimization of impacts of the use of airspace on the environment.

Climate Change has increased the severity of wildfires in California and across the West Coast. 

Air quality in Southern California has been severely impacted during these catastrophic fires, which is why I cosponsored The Smoke Planning and Research Act.

This bill requires that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research and mitigate the effects of the massive smoke emissions that have resulted from increased catastrophic wildfires. 

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the nation’s largest urban national park, providing a variety of outdoor activities for millions of visitors.

Over the years, I have taken the lead in securing federal funds to acquire and preserve critical open space and complete the 65-mile Backbone Trail.

There is a crucial need to preserve sensitive habitat and recreational trails in this treasured national park.

This is why I joined Congressman Adam Schiff in re-introducing The Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act.  

This legislation would add over 191,000 acres of open space to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, protecting it for future generations.