SEEC Leadership applauds passage of the Moving Forward Act

Washington D.C. – Today the leaders of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) made the following statement in response to the passage of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act in the U.S. House of Representatives:

"As leading advocates for sustainability in the U.S. House, SEEC has long advocated for a new approach to infrastructure focused on addressing 21st century challenges, which is why today we are proud to support the passage of the Moving Forward Act. This forward-thinking plan includes numerous SEEC priorities to help us protect communities from climate change, clean up pollution that disproportionately impacts frontline communities, and create family-sustaining jobs that can set us on a path to economic recovery." Said Co-Chairs Reps. Doris Matsui, Paul Tonko and Gerry Connolly along with Vice-Chairs Reps. Chellie Pingress, Alan Lowenthal, Mike Quigley, Matt Cartwright, and A. Donald McEachin. "We appreciate the work and leadership of our colleagues in drafting this plan, and we are committed to working with them to make sure these important policies are passed into law."

A significant number of SEEC priorities for the 116th Congress were included in the Moving Forward Act. The coalition has been advocating for a sustainable infrastructure package since 2018. SEEC's Co-Chairs called for such a bill in a November 2018 op-ed ahead of the start of the 116th Congress. And in early 2019, SEEC members sent a letter to Committee Chairs and House Leadership urging action on sustainable infrastructure and called for a sustainable infrastructure plan at the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee's 2019 Member Day hearing.

H.R. 2 includes numerous policy priorities outlined in SEEC Leadership's January letter to the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee regarding surface transportation policy, including a requirement to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector; more money for transit, zero-emission buses, and vehicle charging infrastructure; a refocusing of our funding toward building new, climate smart infrastructure; and funding to make existing transportation infrastructure more resilient to climate impacts. The bill also includes SEEC's clean energy tax priorities, including multi-year extensions for the investment and production tax credits (ITC & PTC) and direct pay provisions for both, standalone eligibility for storage under the ITC, increased support for offshore wind energy, and updates and extensions for energy efficiency tax credits. Finally, the bill also includes numerous priorities outlined in SEEC's Sustainable Relief and Recovery letter, including support for drinking water investments, grid modernization, climate smart ports, renewable energy production on public lands, and natural infrastructure that will make our communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Additional examples of SEEC priorities adopted in the bill include:

• Reforms to the DOE Loan Program Office
• Increases in funding for Brownfields cleanup
• Provides energy efficiency improvements for schools and public buildings
• Reauthorization of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Program
• Guarantees funding to enhance access to green space and develop recreational infrastructure in park-poor urban areas and traditionally underserved communities
• Provides support for NOAA coastal restoration projects
• Establishes a federal orphaned well remediation program
• Reauthorizes the Abandoned Mine Land program for coal mines
• Creates an offshore wind career training grant program