Chairman Ro Khanna's Opening Statement

Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney's Opening Statement

On Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. ET, Rep. Ro Khanna, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Environment, will hold a Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Jumpstarting Main Street:  Bringing Jobs & Wealth Back to Forgotten America.”

This hearing will examine the best ways to target federal infrastructure and climate investments to the most disadvantaged communities.  In addition, the Committee will focus on economic racial inequality, as Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities and women are experiencing the most severe job losses.

In March, the White House proposed to invest more than $2 trillion this decade through President Biden’s American Jobs Plan (AJP).  President Biden has made climate change jobs a top priority, with over half of the proposed AJP investments targeted at solving the climate crisis.

The hearing will also explore how the federal government can address the climate crisis while creating millions of good jobs in the communities where long-term deindustrialization and job losses, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic, have created the most need.  The hearing will examine potential solutions including the Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy (THRIVE) Act and the WATER Act.