Vice President Kamala Harris is in Miami today to tout federal actions aimed at making communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather.
Harris is announcing more than $1 billion in funding for 53 states, territories and Washington “to improve their infrastructure and make communities more resilient,” according to a White House official.
The vice president also attended a briefing today at the National Hurricane Center about extreme weather events. She warned about the frequency of heat waves, flooding and other disasters and said that climate change will make those problems worse, according to a White House pool report.
Other attendees at the briefing included Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; National Hurricane Center acting Director Jamie Rhome; National Hurricane Center Acting Deputy Director Michael Brennan; NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad; and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell, according to the pool report.
Harris’ remarks come as the Biden administration is hoping to clinch a deal on legislation that would include $370 billion in spending to combat climate change and advance renewable energy (Greenwire, Aug. 1).
President Joe Biden has also pledged to treat climate change as an “emergency,” and the administration has vowed to use its executive powers to limit emissions and address the impacts of a changing climate.
