Climate Change

Senator Feinstein has a proven record of fighting to protect our climate and eliminate harmful greenhouse gases.

• Increasing fuel economy: The Ten-In-Ten Fuel Economy Act, authored by Senators Feinstein, Snowe, Inouye and Stevens, was signed into law in 2007. The law required average fuel economy standards for America’s fleet of vehicles to increase by at least 10 mpg over 10 years, and then to continue to increase to be as strong as technologically feasible. This led to the largest increase in fuel efficiency in more than two decades, and the fuel economy of new vehicles is set to climb to an average of more than 50 mpg by 2025.
• Stopping destructive drilling: Senator Feinstein is the sponsor of the West Coast Ocean Protection Act, which would permanently ban offshore oil and gas drilling off the coasts of California, Oregon or Washington. She also voted against the Keystone XL pipeline and has consistently opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
• Mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions: Senator Feinstein authored legislation that was signed into law in 2007, mandating all major sources of greenhouse gases to report their emissions annually to inform the Environmental Protection Agency’s inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, available here.
• Promoting the use of electric vehicles: Senator Feinstein is a cosponsor of the Electric Cars Act (S. 3449, 115^th Congress, which would extend the electric vehicle tax credit for an additional 10 years. This bill would also allow buyers to use the tax credit over a 5-year period, or apply the credit at the point of sale, making the credit more applicable to those without large tax liability.
• Fighting wildfires from the air: In response to the increasing wildfires due to climate change, Senator Feinstein secured the transfer of seven C-130 aircraft from the federal government to the state of California for fighting wildfires. Under the provision, the Air Force will modify the cargo aircraft to fight wildfires, free of charge to the State of California. These planes will provide Cal Fire with a unique capability unmatched by any firefighting agency in the world.
• Stopping air pollution: Senator Feinstein was an original cosponsor of the Clean Air, Healthy Kids Act to block the “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth” executive order signed by President Trump in 2017, which prompted the ongoing regulatory rollback of climate-related regulations.
• Promoting climate change education: Senator Feinstein is an original cosponsor of the Climate Change Education Act, which would support professional development for teachers; science, technology, health and engineering education; the development of climate literacy curricula; and improve the quality of and access to training and certification for green-collar jobs. The Climate Change Education Act would also establish a climate education program at the National Oceanic and Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• Battery storage: Senator Feinstein is an original cosponsor of the Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act (S. 1868, 115^th Congress) to create tax incentives for the deployment of energy storage devices like batteries that can help store renewable energy when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing for later use.
• Putting a price on carbon: Senator Feinstein is an original sponsor of the “Climate Action Rebate Act” (S. 2284, 116^th Congress) which aims to fight climate change while returning revenue raised through the bill back to American families in the form of a monthly dividend. This bill would place an increasing price on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions to drive down pollution and encourage market-driven innovation in clean energy technologies.
• Reducing emissions: Senator Feinstein is an original cosponsor of the “Clean Economy Act of 2020” (S. 3269, 116th Congress) which directs the EPA to set the United States on a path toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has set the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 in order to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and prevent the worst effects of a warming climate.
• Addressing environmental inequities: Senator Feinstein is an original cosponsor of the “Environmental Justice for All Act,” which would require the federal government to consider the cumulative impacts of greenhouse gases from projects under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. Among other important changes, the bill also amends the National Environmental Policy Act to allow frontline and historically disadvantaged communities, including Native American tribes, a voice in decision-making.