| CONTACT: Kayla Ritchie | [email protected] Statement from KD Chavez, Executive Director at Climate Justice Alliance praising House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries for raising concerns with the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) and calling for additional review and greater input from the House before moving forward: ‘Climate Justice Alliance applauds House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries for raising concerns with the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act. His decision reflects the strong leadership, courage and sound judgment that communities across the country need at this critical moment. ‘Leader Jeffries is right to recognize that Democrats have the power, and the responsibility, to reject a rushed, damaging compromise and write permitting reform on their own terms. BAAJA goes far beyond earlier permitting proposals, sweeping across more than 75 environmental protections, including the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and historic-preservation law. It would lock in fossil fuel and other harmful projects, weaken public oversight, limit communities’ ability to challenge decisions in court, and give developers new avenues to challenge the government when permits are denied. ‘These provisions would leave frontline communities to bear the costs of pollution while corporate polluters receive new protections and expanded power. Limited and contested emissions reductions cannot make BAAJA a climate win when pollution continues to be concentrated in Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latine, poor white and working-class communities. ‘We are grateful to Leader Jeffries for recognizing what is at stake and for using his position to stand with frontline communities. His opposition shows that Democrats do not need to rescue a bill that sacrifices communities for the sake of a false compromise. They have the mandate and the opportunity to write durable permitting reform that protects public health, preserves meaningful community input and ends corporate handouts. ‘This is the kind of principled, community-centered leadership we need from the next Speaker of the House. We deeply appreciate Leader Jeffries’ leadership and look forward to working with him and House Democrats to advance permitting reform that protects people, communities and the planet.’ # # # The post Climate Justice Alliance Applauds Jeffries for Raising Concerns with BAAJA, Calls on Democrats to Reject Bill and Write Stronger Permitting Reform appeared first on Climate Justice Alliance. |