Reps. Grijalva, Tlaib, Lee Launch People’s Environmental Justice Caucus
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12), officially launched the People’s Environmental Justice Caucus, a new congressional caucus focused on advancing policies that center community leadership and address environmental harms disproportionately impacting frontline communities across the United States.
The newly launched caucus will provide a platform for members of Congress work with community leaders, advocates, and policy experts to advance environmental justice legislation and ensure that federal policies reflect the needs and priorities of the communities most impacted by environmental injustices. It will also work to strengthen federal environmental justice protections and develop a community input process to help shape the next iteration of the Environmental Justice for All Act, which will be named after the late Congressman A. Donald McEachin and Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva.
"The launch of the People's Environmental Justice Caucus comes at a critical moment, when communities across the country are already dealing with the real impacts of pollution and climate change. My dad, Congressman Raúl Grijalva, spent his career fighting for those communities, and I’m proud to carry that work forward with Representatives Lee and Tlaib. This caucus is about making sure the people most affected aren’t left out—but are leading the way in the decisions that shape their lives,” said Rep. Grijalva.
“I’m proud to be launching the People’s Environmental Justice Caucus alongside Congresswomen Lee and Grijalva and amazing advocates and frontline community members from across our country. Growing up in Southwest Detroit, I thought the smell of pollution was normal, but through years of organizing with our incredible EJ community in Detroit, I’ve come to understand how our government has intentionally sacrificed our families for the profits of corporate polluters. This caucus will help bring my neighbors’ voices into the halls of Congress as we fight for Environmental Justice for All,” said Rep. Tlaib.
“Environmental justice has always been driven by the leadership of communities who have been forced to live with pollution, disinvestment, and the consequences of climate change. The People’s Environmental Justice Caucus is about ensuring those communities are not only heard but centered in federal policymaking,” said Rep. Lee. “At a time when environmental protections have been rolled back significantly by the Trump administration, we must double down on advancing policies that protect our communities, hold polluters accountable, and build a healthier, more just future for everyone. I am proud to be a co-founder of this caucus with Reps. Tlaib and Grijalva and am grateful for the partnership of grassroots coalitions that make this work possible. I look forward to the progress our collective communities can make together.”
The lawmakers hosted a panel on Capitol Hill today with environmental justice advocates and grassroots organizers who helped advance earlier versions of the Environmental Justice for All Act and helped draft the legislation, as well as the community-driven engagement processes that informed those efforts. The panel was moderated by Vernice Miller-Travis, co-founder and board member of WE ACT for Environmental Justice and Executive Vice President at Metropolitan Group. Panelists included Mar Zepeda Salazar, Legislative Director at Climate Justice Alliance, and Dr. Ana Baptista, Director of the Tishman Environment and Design Center.
“Together, our coalition of environmental justice and national partners are organizing to ensure impacted communities have a voice in creating the healthy and just climate future we all deserve. We are fighting for a Congress and a government that will finally put people before polluters and bring an end to the environmental injustices our communities face. The formation of the House Environmental Justice Caucus is a critical step toward bringing frontline communities into policymaking and ensuring that public health is no longer secondary to corporate profits,” said Dalal Aboulhosn, Coalition Member of the Platform for a Just Climate & Senior Director of Program & Policy at Center for Earth, Energy & Democracy (CEED).
"There is an incredible legacy of environmental justice leadership in the House of Representatives. In the face of the administration's relentless attacks on environmental justice and its rollbacks of nearly every environmental and public health regulation protecting our communities, the launch of this caucus demonstrates that the environmental justice movement in Congress is as strong as ever - and needs to be. We are proud to support Representatives Lee, Tlaib, and Grijalva's leadership in the next chapter of federal environmental justice policies and look forward to working together to advance thoughtful, community-led legislation that supports a healthier and more equitable future for all,” said Denise Patel, National Organizing Director, Environmental Justice Leadership Forum, Hosted by WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
“Climate Justice Alliance applauds the launch of the Environmental Justice Caucus in the House of Representatives today by Representatives Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Summer Lee (PA-12) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12). While late Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva and A. Donald McEachin tirelessly worked to uplift environmental justice policy. This formation brings us hope for centering historically overburdened and underrepresented communities in climate, energy, and environmental policy at a time when big business and billionaires are gaining more power and control over all of us. As we approach the 35th anniversary of the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, the 17 principles of Environmental Justice that came out of it are more relevant than ever before. We appreciate the possibility and promise of this Caucus, alongside frontline communities, to enact just and fair legislation that will protect our kids, families, and communities by holding industry accountable, safeguarding our public health, and protecting our environment far into the future. Our federal policy should always aim to codify our inherent human rights to clean air, water, and land,” said Mar Zepeda Salazar, Legislative Director, Climate Justice Alliance.
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