{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404411", "U.S. Rep. Castor Statement After Attending COP28", "2023-12-11", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14), former Chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, released the following statement as the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference in Dubai, UAE comes to a close:\n\n\u201cIt is crucial that the world move quickly to cleaner, cheaper energy to reduce pollution and help people avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. As I return from the COP28 climate conference, I am buoyed by pledges to triple renewable energy, double energy efficiency and boost the ability of communities to deal with extreme heat and weather events. I witnessed America\u2019s leadership in action as Biden Administration representatives rallied countries across the globe to go farther and faster on clean energy. Personally, I conveyed a sense of urgency to act following the hottest summer on record in Florida and as neighbors grapple with the escalating costs of air conditioning and property insurance.\n\n\u201cOur bipartisan House of Representatives delegation met with representatives of other countries and participated in public forums to share our views and collaborate. The trip provided an opportunity to demonstrate to our allies and adversaries that the U.S. is committed to President Biden\u2019s target of slashing climate pollution by 50-52 percent by 2030. This goal aligns with serious risks in the recently released Fifth National Climate Assessment, which states that \u2018the effects of human-caused climate change are already far-reaching and worsening across every region of the United States.\u2019\n\n\u201cIt was clear at COP28 that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) \u2014 America\u2019s historic climate and clean energy law \u2014 has bolstered U.S. climate leadership on the global stage and is now raising the ambition of other nations. Since it was signed by the President in August 2022, the IRA has spurred a wave of new clean energy and manufacturing projects and jobs around the country. In Florida alone, the historic climate law is projected to create more than 85,000 high-quality, good-paying jobs by the end of the decade. Representatives from Australia, Germany and other nations relayed their efforts to pursue similar policies aimed at driving clean energy innovation and economy-wide sustainability.\n\n\u201cWhile I left feeling hopeful, I also saw fossil fuel lobbyists and OPEC nations flex their muscles to slow progress. We cannot allow oil and gas corporations to divert the world from a safer and healthier future. Leaders across government, the private sector, and the activist community \u2014 especially young people \u2014 are energized and doing amazing work to help us secure a livable planet. The work is far from over, especially in Congress. I look forward to advancing policies that expand lower-cost clean energy, cut pollution, protect our communities and improve our health.\u201d\n\nWatch Castor's remarks ahead of COP28 here.\n\nWatch Castor\u2019s remarks at the Atlantic Council\u2019s Event on \u201cRewarding Environmental Performance in Trade\u201d at COP28 here.\n\nPhotos from COP28 can be viewed here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404411"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9137438610196114, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}