Rep. Mike Levin & House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries Mark One-Year Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act
Inflation Reduction Act Has Made Historic Investments to Strike a Decisive Blow Against Climate Change, Create Better Paying Jobs and Lower Costs Across the Country
Del Mar, CA- Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) held a press conference in Del Mar to mark the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, and the historic investments made to create good-paying jobs and lower costs across the country. The Inflation Reduction Act is the most ambitious climate law in U.S. history and is a core pillar of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
Rep. Levin and Leader Jeffries highlighted millions of dollars in new funding through the Inflation Reduction Act for coastal conservation, restoration, and resilience set aside for projects like the City of Del Mar’s Climate Resiliency and Access Improvement Project to preserve and protect the San Dieguito Lagoon and other similar projects along the region’s coastline. The Inflation Reduction Act allocated $240 million to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for transformational habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects.
“The historic investments made by the Inflation Reduction Act are delivering results for the American public and transitioning our country into a clean energy economy that cuts pollution, tackles climate change, and creates good-paying jobs. It is the result of President Biden and Democrats’ work to deliver a once-in-a-generation law that meets the pressing challenges facing our nation,” said Rep. Levin. “The Inflation Reduction Act has made significant impact after just one year, and more is to come in the years ahead.”
"House Democrats believe that we must confront the climate crisis with the fierce urgency of now. Last year, under the leadership of President Biden, we were proud to pass the Inflation Reduction Act – the largest investment in combatting the climate crisis in the history of the world. This legislation sets our planet on a sustainable trajectory forward, creates more than a million good-paying jobs and makes sure that our environment can continue to be available for generations to come. There is no Planet B and I am grateful to Congressman Mike Levin for his leadership in ensuring that we move forward, not backward,” said House Democratic Leader Jeffries.
“We are very excited to have Congressman Mike Levin and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jefferies here with us today to highlight the City of Del Mar’s commitment to climate resiliency and the protection of our natural resources, residents, and businesses. I want to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to Congressman Levin for securing $750,000 in federal funding for Del Mar’s Climate Resiliency and Coastal Access Improvement Project. This project will help protect critical natural resources here in the San Dieguito Lagoon and is an important part of the City’s response to the effects of climate change,” said Del Mar Mayor Tracy Martinez.
A new report released this week by the U.S. Department of Energy details how the Inflation Reduction Act will strengthen the U.S. economy by 2030. The law is poised to:
- Save American families up to $38 billion on their electricity bills by 2030,
- Position the U.S. to achieve President Biden’s goal of cutting climate pollution in half by 2030,
- Strengthen U.S. energy security by reducing net crude oil imports by up to 59% by 2030, and
- Nearly double the share of clean electricity generation, from 42% in 2022 to 72%-81% in 2030.
This is in addition to millions of dollars already invested to tackle the climate crisis and create good-paying jobs. Some of the accomplishments in the first year of the Inflation Reduction Act include:
- Awarded $30 million to expand community air monitoring and $25 million to improve air quality,
- Opened grant competitions under the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for a national clean energy financing network,
- Created more than 170,000 good-paying jobs across the country, including 5,288 in California,
- Sparked $278 billion in climate investments, including $11.9 billion in California.
In California, the Inflation Reduction Act has made significant investments including:
- $499,100 for the Air Resources Board to design and implement air quality monitoring in two communities to inform the development of a statewide community air monitoring program,
- $499,900 for the South Coast Air Quality Monitoring District to enhance air monitoring, which will inform action to reduce local pollutant emissions and exposures,
- $3 million for the State of California and $1 million for the San Diego Association of Governments to develop plans for reducing harmful air pollution.
One year after the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law, it remains popular with the American public. A new poll found that two in three Americans support the law, and about 80% of Americans support its key provisions including capping insulin costs, giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices, and creating more manufacturing jobs in America.
##