As a political conservative, I applaud U.S. Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar for joining the new Conservative Climate Caucus in Congress.
Florida might just be ahead of the curve, but conservatives here have always been strong stewards of the natural world. In our community, we know that we all have to play our part in protecting and preserving the earth for generations to come. That means we have to work together to fight climate change – which we know all-too-well given our vulnerability to rising sea levels and hurricanes.
Representatives Diaz-Balart, Gimenez and Salazar, and other Congressional members of this climate caucus clearly share the concerns of their home districts, and know that we can be part of the solution. But they also recognize that climate change is too big for us to solve alone – too big for even America to solve alone. Eighty-five percent of all greenhouse gas emissions come from somewhere other than the U.S.
When politicians on the left talk about “solutions” they are often talking about policies that push our jobs overseas to countries where emissions and pollution are not a concern. So overall emissions will go up instead of down, and we’ll have fewer jobs here at home. Why would anyone think that could be good for America or for the planet? It just doesn’t add up.
That’s why I’m excited about the leadership of Representatives Diaz-Balart, Gimenez and Salazar and other members of the Conservative Climate Caucus. My hope is that they will help bring common sense to the climate issue through conservative policies that empower our small businesses, secure our jobs, leverage the free market reduce global emissions. If Congressional Democrats are really serious about climate change, they’ll use this opportunity to reach across the aisle and work with these leaders for America.
Sincerely,
George Riley
State Director for Conservatives for Clean Energy – Florida
Former Executive Director of the Republican Party of Florida 2016-2019
