Environmental Justice

On any given day, Western Pennsylvania suffers from some of the poorest air quality in the nation. CEOs get wealthy while our community — especially Black and brown communities — experience higher rates of asthma, cancer and other diseases. Despite these increased health risks, Congress still fails to act with the urgency we need to establish protections against new developments that pose even greater environmental and health risks.  

As a state representative, I was always vocal in my opposition to fracking and have emphasized the need for sustainable jobs. When there was a fracking proposal in the Mon Valley, we joined with the community to fight back and stopped it in its tracks. The people in our community have been fighting back against fossil fuel corporations’ fracking proposals for decades, and I am proud to continue to stand with them. 

In Congress, I intend to launch an Environmental Justice Caucus to serve as a platform to further advocacy for the passage of the Environmental Justice for All Act, carry forward the historic, community-centered coalition-building that defined the creation of this legislation, and ensure that frontline, overburdened, and underinvested communities remain not just at the table, but are co-leading the work alongside Members of Congress to shape and drive policy. I plan to continue to fight for a Green New Deal to transition to a 100% clean and renewable energy economy. This includes ending fracking, which poses a disproportionate threat to communities like ours.