Chairman engles joining us. Were here joined by the select committee on Climate Crisis and an esteemed panel of witnesses for this hearing leading to the next generation on the global Climate Crisis. I know a few of our witnesses have a hard stop at 11 30 in order to get to their next event advocating on these issues. Ill just ask that all members keep their questioning to five minutes or less so we can fit in as many members as possible. Without objection all the members may have five days to submit statements, questions, exrainious materials for the record, subject to length limitation in the rules and id just like to call on the chairman of the full committee to who has a few words to offer. Chairman engel. Good morning, everyone. I just wanted to invite everyone to come to the Foreign Affairs committee, and by the looks of it youre all here. I want to welcome everybody. Climate change is certainly something that is so important, and the aggravating thing about it is that there are so many who still deny it. So i look forward to listening to what our young people are saying today because the world is really their future and we owe it to them to do what we can now to make sure that the world is safe. And Climate Change is certainly something that is happening, and if we dont do anything about it it will certainly imperil future generations, and just happy to welcome everybody to the Foreign Affairs committee room. Thank you. Id like to thank the chairman. Id just like to recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statement. Our panel represents the next generation of leaders, and so naturally were speaking to the future. However, let us be clear, we are also speaking to the present. Were witnessing the effects of Climate Change daily whether its storms, forest fires, floods and other disasters occurring with increasing intensity and frequency. Increased migration due to Sea Level Rise, threats to food and water safety. This is the reality were facing right now because of Climate Change. I see it every time i go home. In south eastern massachusetts it has one of the longest coastlines in the country and includes island communities. On cape cod were anticipating a Sea Level Rise of 1 to 2 meters by 2100. And 3 to 12 meters in the next 100 years. Erosion, storm damage costs family and businesses trying to live with more than they can afford as every storm approaches. And with each storm were also worried about the cost to lives as well. Our fishing and Loft Industries are threatened by rising ocean temperatures. Our state and local governments under immense pressure to address not only Sea Level Rise but air quality issues. And despite of having some of the best scientists and researchers right in that area, its an incredible challenge. The efforts spanning generations now in my district to identify energy and offshore wind, solar power to bring in new jobs. Yet there are still major gaps in access for our communities and struggles to overcome the political obstacles and the goal is making necessary changes to how things are currently. There must be leadership in addressing Climate Change because especially your generation cant afford for things not to change. This is a global issue and the biggest polluters are going to be needed to make big changes to do their part. But we need to be honest with ourselves as leaders. So far our generation has failed to adequately address our Climate Crisis. This failure isnt fatal, yet our failure to change will be. Change happens through leadership. We wouldnt be in this situation right now, our witnesses would be safely and happily in school pursuing their dreams and not protesting and pushing their government to act if everyone was doing their part. America knows how to lead in a crisis, and its high time we pick ourselves up to get back to this fight to bring the rest of the world with us because waiting for other countries to do the right thing is making a bad bet on our future. Theres so much we could and should do right now in our country. We have bright minds to engineer solutions to the future. America has shaped revolutions in industry time and time again and its made our country better off. Now the stakes are so much higher. Despite all our resources and ingenuity the one thing we dont have is time. Without cuts to Carbon Emissions the world could see an average Sea Level Rise of 62 meters over the course of a lifetime of people born today. Thats over 2 feet. And scientists are gravely concerned that the Sea Level Rise in the next 100 years could we even faster than the 107 years that preceded it. Id just like to thank our witnesses and extraordinary Young Leaders fortified with Scientific Research for being here. Its regrettable they have to be. The Paris Agreement should have been reached decades ago, and we should have been well on our way by now to its far more aggressive targets giving communities and industries the time to adapt and giving you a much more hopeful outlook on the future. But here we are, and i hope your testimony today will galvanize us to act now before we are truly out of time. Ranking member Adam Kinsinger for his opening statement. Climate change is real and the best way to combat it is by reducing not only our nations Carbon Emissions but that of the rest of the world. The changes were see ogon the climate pose botht short and longterm challenges and i believe they can be addressed in two major ways. First, we need diversity in our Energy Sources. Energy diversity is energy security. Similar to ones own personal Investment Strategies this nation cannot afford to put all tanks in one basket. You diversify your investments in mutual funds, bonds, real estate and et cetera. Second we need to support Market Driven innovations to develop new Clean Energy Technologies that will put the United States at the forefront of environmental technologies. Its a great example of what this Market Driven strategy would look like. My districts home to four Nuclear Reactors actually its eight reactors, four plants which serve as the most abundant clean and Stable Energy source on the planet. As well as Wind Turbines and thermal wind sources. These not only provide year Round Clean Energy what also have produced high paying jobs for constituents. Many nations are implementing strategies to combat Climate Change. Unfortunately some of of our closest allies are taking their Nuclear Reactors offline at a time when we need low Carbon Energy sources. Meanwhile as the west looks at option to combat Climate Change we all know chinas global emissions continue to rise. Chi chi china adds nearly four times as much. While some may say the United States needs to be the leader of combating Climate Change, i would say we already are. Since 2005 global emissions have increased by 2 . While reducing global emissions isal its also important to note there are over 1 billion People Living without access to heat or electricity. From a Foreign Policy standpoint this should not be overlooked. The next Global Health crisis or conflict could easily which from poverty. We must encourage other developed nations to reduce emissions while understanding that for economies just getting off the ground its not entirely possible at least not without substantial help from our United States and allies. Its going to take major innovation and breakthroughs to not only reduce our emissions at home but also provide clean reliable power to those living without it. Tesla doesnt sell cars because of the sound system and people dont put solar panels on their roof because they look good. Consumers especially the young people like we have on our panel want to know policy makers share our values. With that i yeeield back the balance of my time. The chair recognizes the chair of the select committee on Climate Crisis. Well, thank you chairman for hosting this hearing today. Thank you for including the members of the house select, the Youth Climate Movement has grabbed the attention of the world and its due to the hard work of many of the students in this room and many young people all across the planet but youll nee know that Congress First major hearing on the Climate Crisis was 1988. Congress has had plenty of opportunity to understand that burning fossil fuels warms the planet and alters the earths climate. Yet scientists tell us more than half of the Carbon Pollution that has been emitted into the atmosphere has occurred since that hearing in 1988. Ive been in Congress Since 2007 and weve done some good things since then. Weve raised auto efficiency standard, weve supported the dramatic expansion of wind and solar power. Weve started to the face of the Climate Crisis. We need to take full action now. 70 of young people in america say they worry about Climate Change. I dont blame them. Theyre doing more than paying attention in science class. This generation is the most wellinformed and connected generation in history. And everything theyre learning has driven them to a new level of engagement. And students are asking policy makers a very powerful question. Whats the point of going to school to learn about the Climate Crisis when your elected officials arent doing enough to act on it . The Climate Strike Movement has united young people in all countries, all across the globe. Theyre cooperating to demand Climate Action and theyre asking us to cooperate with allies to cut Carbon Pollution and protect our communities. Its not lost on us that the United States is responsible for a big share of Carbon Pollution accumulated in the atmosphere to date. So we have a very serious responsibility to lead. But were also the worlds greatest engine of innovation. And we can do this. We have the solutions. Local communities and states have acted boldly, but a Strong NationalClimate Action plan has been missing. Weve heard from scientists in the select Committee Hearings as we will hear from these young people here today that we must do more and that we do not have time to waste. Our answer has to be more than a promise to do better. Our Solutions Must equal the challenge before us. And i bet that ten or 20 years from now young people marching and striking today will be serving in the congress. And we need to take bold action now because we cant leave it up to them to cleanup the mess that congress has made. People say this next generation gives us hope, but thats not quite right, is it . This generation is giving us a job to do. The job is addressing the Climate Crisis. If we do our job then we will be worthy of their hope because that means well have started to create the future that theyre fighting for. The select commithy has a mandate to come up with an action plan for congress. We want ideas to come from all corners of this country and beyond. You can go to lie climatecrisis. House. Gov and tell us what your ideas are. Its only through cooperation, through coming together in our democracy that we can address the Climate Crisis. These young people are rising to the challenge and we need to rise with them. Thank you and i yield back. Thank you. Chair now recognizes the Ranking Member of the select committee. Thank you, mr. Chairman. And i want to thank you all for being here today. Most importantly, i want to thank you for engaging in your government, most young folks choose to not do that until many years later. I have three kids and we often talk about some of the impacts weve seen from Climate Change and sea rise in my home state of louisiana where some of the sea rise impacts have exacerbated the loss of 2,000 square miles of our coast. 2,000 square miles. To put that in perspective if that were the state of rhode island we had have 49 states today in the United States. Meaning the size of an entire statewi state would be gone. I agree we need to take aggressive action and ensure we move forward in this sustainable rational manner. But i think its also important that we ensure that were moving forward based on facts. As mr. Kinsinger said a few minutes ago contrary to popular belief the United States is the country thats led the world in Greenhouse Gas reductions. As stated we have reduced Greenhouse Gases more than the next 12 countries combined. Weve reduced them more than the next 12 countries combined. Just last year we stepped in and made more progress in adaptation and mitigation strategies than in any other year committing more dollars moving toward establishing a resiliency standard, ensuring as we rebuild after disasters, that were building to a newer, higher standard truly thinking about the future. Ensuring that were putting record dollars towards proactive efforts to ensure our coastal communities and river based communities can be resilient and continuing to move in this direction of Green House Gas reductions. But i also think weve got to stop this ridiculousness of operating myopically or operating as if the United States is in a vacuum. It is important to keep in mind the Energy Information administration projects that by 2030 80 of Global Energy demands, 80 , are going to be addressed using fossil fuels. This is not some type of partisan hack group. 80 , yet just last week we had three bills designed to stop Energy Production in the United States. Over the weekend we had a tax in saudi arabia. All that does is increase our reliance upon Energy Sources from other countries that have a lower safety standard and have a lower environmental standard. Records show and it is crestal clear when we import energy from other places, we actually increase the risk to the environment, increase the risk of spills when we have domestic Energy Production. I hear people talking about how we need to stop all fossil fuel utilizization and stop all these emissions. Right now as we stated for every 1 ton of Carbon Emissions we produce in the United States china has increased by 4 tons, more than offsetting all the reductions weve had in the United States. Moving forward even under the paris accords the folks are sitting here giving accolades to and saying its a great idea, i want to be clear i support the u. S. target in the paris accords. I think signing onto an agreement and an agreement for something that allows for china to come in and have a 50 increase, adding another 5 gigatons by 2030 is inappropriate. Its moving in the wrong direction, not in the right direction. I also remain confouned reading letters like this one that says the pressure, the organization of Petroleum Exporting countries and cooperating countries to increase world oil supplies in order to lower prices. The impact of rising fuel prices on the economy and Family Budgets is significant and widespread. The current run up in World Oil Prices is effectively a tax on all American Families discretionary budget except that the money goes to opec as opposed to the United States treasury. Let me say again, this letter is advocating for increased World Oil Production because prices are too high. Who do you think signed this letter . Who do you think siped thgned t letter . This letter was sent by senator cantwell, menendez, senator Chuck Schumer and senator ed markey just last year. I eremain so confused by what it is were doing, what is our policy. Look, my home state my home state is at risk of its existence moving forward with sea rise, but weve got to make sure were moving forward in a rational manner that builds on successes and correct failures rather than these confounding policies that make no sense. Yield back. I want to introduce our witnesses. From sweden, shes a climate activist who helped build a fridays for future movement where she began going on strike from school outside the Swedish Parliament on fridays. She has spoken on the Climate Crisis before the eu parliament. Welcome. From seattle washington, shes cofounder of the coexecutive director of the zero hour, an International YouthClimate Organization founded in the summer of 2017. Shes also a plaintiff in and mr. Vick is from white plains, new york, a fellow with the alliance for climate education and a plaintiff in juliana vs. United states. A naup Profit Organization to educate and engage conservatives on Climate Change, all of you are here and we welcome all of you and appreciate your efforts. Please limit your testimony to five minutes. And without objection your prepared written statements will be made part of the record. Ill now go to ms. Toonberry for her statement. My name is i have not come to offer any prepared remarks at this hearing. Im instead attaching my testimony. It is the ipcc special report on Global Warming of 1. 5 degrees celsius, the sr 1. 5 which was released on october 8, 2018. I am submitting this report as my testimony because i dont want you to listen to me. I want you to listen to the scientists. And i want you to unite behind science. And i want you to take real action. Thank you. Im a 17yearold climate activist from seattle, washington. Im missing a lot of school to be here. Its my senior year of high school, i have College Application deadlines looming over me, and to be honest ive barely even started because im too busy fighting to make sure im actually going to have the future im applying for. That is nothing compare today the hours congress have spent with lobbyists from corporations that make billions of dollars off the destruction of my future. I want the whole u. S. Government to remember the fear and despair my generation lives every day and i want you to hold onto it. How do i even begin to convey to you what it feels like to know that within my lifetime the destruction weve already seen from the Climate Crisis will only get worse . But to add insult to injury is the fact we keep getting promised what september there. The media, pop culture, businesses and the whole world tells me that i and my whole generation will have something to look forward to that we just dont. Youre promising me lies. Everyone that will walk up to me after this testimony and say i have such a Bright Future ahead of me will be lying to my face. It doesnt matter how tal wanted we are, what work we put in, the reality is my generation has been committed to a planet that has been collapsing. The fact youre staring at a panel of young people testifying before you today, pleading for a livable earth should not fill you with pride. It should fill you with shame. Youth climate activism should not have to exist. We are exhausted because we have tried everything. Weve built organizations, organized marches and worked on political campaigns. I sued my State Government in a lawsuit called piper vs. The state of washington along with 12 other plaintiffs for contributing to the Climate Crisis and denying my generations Constitutional Rights to life, liberty and property. The lawsuit is also arguing snat the Natural Resources of my state are protected as a right under the washington states constitution. The shellfish, salmon, orcas and all the beautiful wildlife of my Pacific Northwest home is dying caused by the Climate Crisis. My friends and i were warned to stay inside the last two summers because our city was shrouded in a suffocating smoke from wildfires. It gave me such bad headaches for so long. And my friends with respiratory illnesses had to go to the er. Is this the future we have to look forward to . Were working as hard as we can to make sure it isnt. On july 21, 2018, despite being full Time High School students with a lot of homework to do my organization zero hour marched on washington, d. C. In a pouring rainstorm and in 25 cities around the world demanding urgent Climate Action from you and all of our leaders. And that was only the beginning. But by 2030 we will know if we have created the Political Climate that will have allowed us to salvage life on earth or if we acted too late. By then we must be well on the path to climate recovery but this must start today. In fact, it should have started yesterday. By 2030 ill be old enough to run for congress and be seated right where you guys are seated right now. By then we need to have already achieved net zero Greenhouse Gas emissions and be rapidly on the path to climate recovery. I cant wait until im sitting in your seats to change the Climate Crisis. You have to use the seats you have now because by the time i get there its going to be way too late. The good news is that experts agree there are multiple pathways to decarbonize the United StatesEnergy System and doing so is both tech logically and economically viable and beneficial. The most frustrating thing is that the u. S. Government cant even begin to imagine the massive political shift that has to happen in order for us to solve this issue. The politics just hadnt been invented yet. Solving the Climate Crisis goes against everything that our country was unfortunately built on, colonialism, slavery and Natural Resource extraction. This is why the youth are calling for a new era altogether. As greta mentioned the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that we only have a few months left in order to create the massive political shift needed to transition our world to an entirely Renewable Energy economy, this needs to happy within the next ten years which is our deadline to save life as we know it. People call my generation generation z as if we are the last generation but we are not. We are refusing to be the last letter of the alphabet. Im announce we are instead generation grd, the generation of the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal is not just about the specific plans laid out in resolutions, its about a new chapter in American History andtran transforming our cultur. It is right here testifying before you that i am proud to announce that history is being made. Youve heard of the reagan era, the new deal era. Well the youth are bringing about the era of the Green New Deal. Thank you. Im 20 years old and im one of the 21 youth plaintiffs suing the executive branch and the federal government for knowingly causing Climate Change. Id like to recognize my fellow coplaintiffs sitting in this room behind me. My people are an aphroindigenous community. In the 18th and 19th centuries we were pushed from our homeland on st. Vincent, despite overwhelming adversity we organized our community and emancipated ourselves to protect our future as a people. However, the struggle continues for me and my people. As temperatures increase, sea levels rise, storms become more intense and frequent and the coral reeves and fisheries upon which we depend disappear. The lapds that im supposed to inherit will be under water if the u. S. Government continues to promote the fossil based energy sls. Its not just me and my people in honduras being harmed by Climate Change. Front line communities around the world are already feeling the effects of the Climate Crisis from it dispossession of land to the grave Public Health threats disproportionately affecting myself and other communities. These communities are made up of people who look like me. I myself have felt the consequences of Climate Change directly. Growing up in new york i was impacted by the Climate Change fueled Hurricane Sandy which left my family and School Without power for days. I still experience grave anxiety about experiencing another climate driven disaster like super storm sandy and the harm these storms will have on myself and my family. As someone who already struggles with anxiety and struggles with depression from my understanding of Climate Change and what i experienced, watching our government knowingly perpetuate the Climate Crisis is extremely overwhelming. I wrestle with this anxiety every day from the moment i wake up in the morning to the moment i fall asleep at night. If we keep going on as business as usual both honduras and new york the places where my family coplaintiffs with asthma and allergies suffered from the pro longed wildfires in the west limiting ability to participate in serving activities or even go outside. Many like me are struggling with psychological harm from Climate Change. The medical community now recognizes Climate Change as a grave Public Health threats. One of our experts describes Climate Change as a process Public Health emergency which is disproportionately. Including heat stress, extreme weather events, wildfires, decreased air quality and Infectious Disease all of which pose a disproportionate threat to children and youth. Another experts dr. Lisa vast sus stern a psychiatrist known for work on Climate Change explains quote with continued government actions exerror baiting the the Climate Crisis the plaintiffs will suffer straesk emotional injuries. She states the federal government sanctions of Climate Change as lawful in federal law and plts makes a psychological injury suffered by individuals including the plaintiffs particularly harmful and insidious. She warns without immediate action by the federal government to address Climate Change the Mental Health impacts will worsen aband be lifelong. Just as my federal government sanctioned discrimination in schools and housing until the middle of the last century, a policy harming children, my federal government has also orchestrated and sanctioned a system of fossil fuel energy that is harming children and another way. Irreversibly threatening health, personal security homes and communities. By recreating a dangerous climate system. Like youth who have come before us in the Civil Rights Movement and other social Justice Movements its often the youth that must shine a light on systems of injustice. In 2015. 21 young people myself includes filed a lauts against the United States and agencies of the executive branch to safe fward our constitutional right to life liberty and property including our rights to personal security, bodi bodily integrity and sustainable system. I was born into a world in which my future and past are uncertainty. My culture and inheritance are slipping into the sea. My people are going extinting. Show children everywhere you care about the future and the future of all generations to come. Now is your time to stand in solidarity with me and coplaintiffs americas youth and communities around the world to fight for a just future free from straesk Climate Change. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Bakker. Good morning. My name binky bakker, president and founder of the American Conservation Coalition a nonprofit focused on bolsters kevgt voices in environmental discussions. Im also 21yearold senior at the university of washington in seattle. And i would like to thank you chairman keating chairman castro and Ranking Member graves for holding this very important hearing. Im also honored to share this panel with greta, vick and jaimie each of you have played a Critical Role in generating worldwide awareness around the issue of Climate Change. So thank you. Im a liechlg conservative activist. But like most of my generation regardless of political affiliation i believe Climate Change is real. I believe humans are making an impact. And with global emissions rising 1. last year were at a cote cross roads in history my generation doesnt care about the politicking around Climate Change we want productive skukss realisticances and sound policies. Most importantly i believe america play as vital role in solving in problem and that we must lead by example. Between 2005 and 2017 as already mentioned, we led the world in Emissions Reductions more than the next 12 countries combined. However, while our contribution to Greenhouse Gas emissions is declining we contribute nearly 15 of global Greenhouse Gas emissions which is second most in the world. However, americans have been told that one size fits all approaches such as the Green New Deal are the only solution. Such policies advocate for an Economic Transformation that increases government control, spending and regulation. These approaches inhibit innovation and are not an effective way to reduce emissions. In fact countries with highly restrictive and government controlled economies like venezuela have disastrous environmental records. And while on the other hand countries leading in Emissions Reductions have some of the freest economic systems in the world. We cant ignore in reality. And the fact of the matter is we cannot regulate our way out of Climate Change. Markets and competition reduce emissions far more than heavy handed regulation. A truly effective climate plan will capitalize on americas strength was Technological Advancements empowered consumers entrepreneurial businesses effective government and bold global leadership. We need to did he cashenize fossil fuel emissions increase the number of nuclear and hydropower prants, continue developing solar and wind encourage research and development into other Clean Energy Technologies. Its easier to export innovative American Technologies than burden sm regulations to developing nations. We must also understand the privilege americans bring to the conversation. Cross the globe those who can most heesly adapt to Climate Change are wealth limping in developed krep. Its unfair to ask someone to make choices based on sustain ability when any struggle to survive. As we transition to cleaner Energy Landscapes in the United States and abroad we need to consider the most vulnerable in our world. There are still over 1 billion people without electricity worldwide. Transitions to clean energy needs to happen but it cant happen overnight. Climate change conversations are often dominated by hopelessness and despair. In reality fighting Climate Change is an opportunity to improve human health, lift people up and grow the economy. And i see promising signs. Many bipartisan climate related bills have been introduced and passed in the last two years. Were ruds reducing emissions and create remarkable new technologies more republicans are speaking up than before. The innovation based approach is not limited to the United States either. Just yesterday the British Conservation alliance a group inspired by my oppression the acc was launched by students in the United Kingdom to advocate for market based environmental reforms were making strides in the right direction but we must do more. Each of us play a Critical Role in intoxilyzering Climate Change. To my fellow conservatives, the climate is changing. Its time to claim our seat at the table and develop mart limited Government Policies to establish American Leadership on this issue. There is a reasonable conservative approach to cloimt change and we need to embrace it. To those on the left, without your leadership, this would not be receiving the attention that it deserves. But now its time for solutions. Politicizing Climate Change has deepened the parts. Divide and dade real action. If you want to address Climate Change work with conservatives who want to champion reforms to congress. On Climate Change its not about republicans or democrats. Its about those who are taking effective action and those who are not. Our conversations on Climate Change should be about cutting global Greenhouse Gas emissions not about political pandering. To President Trump, Climate Science is real. I want not a hoax. Its accepted that humans are having a negative impact on our climate. As a proud american as a lifelong conservative, and as a young person i urge you to accept Climate Change for the reality it is and respond accordingly. We need your letteredship. And lastly to young people. You have remarkable power. The four of us testifying up here today are under the age of 22. The world is listening with open ears aen hearts to our voices and voices like yours. Stand for what you believe in. Uplift the world and dont back down. Climate change is about our future. And people need to hear you and us. In conclusion, i grew up on the shores of lake minoqua in wisconsin where i connected with the outdoors early in life. Nature is where i find peace and calm within myself. Thats why i found the the American Conservation Coalition to fight for wild places and stop Climate Change from destroying them. The health of the environment affects all of us regardless of where we live with your our background or political affiliation. Its time for americans to join together, find solutions on Climate Change and protect our planet for generations to come. Thank you. Thank all the witnesses for their testimony and urgency. It kim through in all of your testimony. I new recognize myself for less than five minutes so that we can get as many people to ask questions as possible. Start with just miss thunberg. You chose to submit the ipcc report in lieu of written testimony. Could you expand on why its so important to listen to the science. Well well i dont see a reason to not listen to the science. Its such just such a thing we should be taking for granted that we listen to the current best available united science. Its just something thats everyone should do. This is not political opinions. Political views or my opinions. This is this is science. So, yeah. Thank you. And all of your testimony, not just urgency came through when i was listening, to what you had to say, but as someone from another generation listening, the last thing we would want for the generations to follow for our children, grandchildren, and other peoples children and grandchildren is to hear in some of your remarks actual fear and anxiety being expressed. Could you each of you that can jump right in as you see fit, comment on what thats like. I think that that message should be heard by all of us. Not just urgency, but what are we doing to the next generation . How are their lives impacted by what we are not doing . And what we are doing . So if you could, ill let you just choose among yourselves. Each of will you have the chance to answer that question. For me, its its really been affecting because similar to vick indiana underlying anxiety. Its hard to grow up in a world full of ifs. I dont think a lot of people in congress understand the conversations that are happening in every day american high schools. But were constantly asked prepare for the future study for the future do this for your future but our world is full of ifs. Ill be talking to my best friend saying i want to see the natural place if its still going to be around. I really want to study to be this if that is still a possibility and its just like the constant looming uncertainty. Its a weird form of nihilism and weird fear existing in my generation kids are joking like what is even the point the world is ending . What are he we studying for, doing . Its a coined of depression and fear not just among me or panelists but everyone and that anxiety is something that no child should have to fear. If you think about it, going back to the purpose of what is a parent down to just the biological purpose, its to give their child the best future and the best life that they can possibly have . And the supposedly American Dream is to make sure that children have a Better Future than the adults. But right now its, like, some members of government and some corporations are actively pointing a gun to childrens futures. And actively making it worse, actively going out of their way to support corporations and poison us and destroy our future and that is horrifying and it feels like a betrayal. Its like a knife to the heart to know people with kids theyll go around on the campaign adds and be holding the babies like we should vote for me look at me attracting with a small child while they actively poisoned and choose wallets over their children. Its devastating and scary but it feels like weve been betrayed. In less than a minute would anyone else like to compensate on that . Young people are in the midst of their development. Adolescence isnt characterized as being easy without also dealing with the greatest existential threat of our time. I definitely understand and agree with the panelists that this is something that a lot of young People Stress about and actually thats why i got into this movement to begin with in 2016 was because i thought it was something that americans needed to tackle and the movement that i associated with the conservative movement needed to tackle as well. But the more ive gotten into this movement the Climate Change movement the more ive seen this is actually a positive. There is actually a lot of opportunity here. That we have time. Skroins says so. That doesnt mean we dont have to act. But we do have time. And we have an opportunity and a chance for people to come together on this issue. And work across party lines. And generate Economic Growth to solve this issue. So i feel hopeful. Great. I now yield to the Ranking Member mr. Graves. Thank you, mr. Chairman. And i want to thank you all for your testimony. All of you. It really was impressive. And i very much appreciate it. Miss thunberg you said lets unite behind the science. Couldnt agree with you more. Lets unite behind the science. And i think we actually need more skroins not less. Mr. Bakker, you said that we need to stop this partisan fighting and actually Work Together to yield solutions that make sense. So you know let me say it again. You have folks that propose the Green New Deal yet when brought up for a vote nobody votes for it. No one. You have efforts like last week to stop Energy Production, yet you have letters going out saying hey, we want you to produce more oil in middle Eastern Countries and other nations that dont share american values. And that have dirtier energy that have higher emissions than in the United States. This whole thing is a char aid. When you actually look at science, miss thunberg and look at facts, the facts are is wasnt Waxman Markey legislation here designed to require emissions reduction that yelled the United States leading the world in emissions reduction. It was actually folks doing the right thing, stepping in and actually reducing emissioning, threw innovation, energy efficiency, conservation to where we lead the world. In fact we have beat the projections under Waxman Markey the mandatory legislation and done it with Cheaper Energy prices. Those are the facts. Next, going to mr. Bakker, when you look at where we have actually made progress once again, talking about last year, a Work Together mr. Series and i and othersen on the Transportation Committee where we have with developed the first resiliency standard, bipartisan unanimous bill pass you had out of the committee, dedicated recording funding to resiliency and mitigation and in the United States today we spend more money on Climate Science technology and Energy Solutions than anywhere else in the world. Those things have been done in a bipartisan manner and are yielding results. Not the char aids. These things arent yielding anything. Miss thunberg let me ask you a question. If you were sailing across the ocean and picking up crash along the way and for every one piece of trash you pick up base there is a boat next to you dumping out five pieces how would that make you feel . First of all, if we were going so fast there wane a way to pick up any trash. Well if you were a slow sailor like me how would that make you feel . Well, first of all, if you use that logic then im also dumping a lot of trash in the ocean. And then i would i would stop dumping my trash in the ocean and tell the other boat to stop dumping their trash in the ocean as well. And thats the important point here. I think that what we need to to be doing is we need to to be focusing on the countries dumping trash in the ocean. Of course thats a metaphor. The fact that china is here we are talking about reducing emissions. Yet china under the paris accords are going to be increasing their emissions by nearly 50 , 5 gigatons annualsly while in the invest we need to export Clean Energy Technologies it makes no sense to do it if we shall watching for increasing in china. Mr. Bakker, the ipcc report talks about numerous Solutions Moving forward. Including killeen energy and others. Under ipcc, does it contemplate only only renewable Energy Sources moving forward . Thank you. It actually does not. And i think that it shows a strong trend that we need to generate more clean energy going into the future. There is no doubt about that. And reducing emissions via Clean Energy Technologies. But there is no statement in ipcc report that says that we need to to go 100 clean to reduce emissions at the level that we need to to fix this problem. So moving on from there, if moving forward even under ipcc it doesnt kplamt contemplate not using any conventional fuels moving forward, for the next few decades anyway, do you think it makes sense to utilize the fuels from the nation that has the Cleanest Energy or do you think that it makes more sense to for example use russian gas that releases 13 greater emissions as we move forward . Which makes more sense . Or do you think it makes sense to perhaps get fuels from nigeria that just a few years ago had 2000 ongoing spills. I think it its important for americans to understand that we do generate fossil fuels killeener than anywhere else in the world. While the rest of the world still relies on fossil fuel thats an important thing to note. I do think while we continue to generate power for for the rest of the globe and prorps a people we transition to more Clean Technologies which i think we are starting to do. But i do believe making sure gnat rest of the world is generating fossil fuels safely is important. Because its going to be a part of our future. Especially today. And the United States does do it cloner than anywhere else in the world. Thats a fact. And its something we have to think about. Thank you. Yield back. Chairwoman koort. Mr. Bakker in your testimony you point occupant that the United States must lead by example. And despite recent Emissions Reductions the United States is currently the second highest emitting country in the world annually. And although we rank number 2 now the United States is responsible for the most Carbon Pollution accumulated in the atmosphere. Some people say that the United States should not dramatically reduce our emissions because china and other countries arent doing enough. Id like to have your view on that and have each of the witnesses comment on that briefly. Yeah, i think that is a false approach. Because we have never in history looked at a problem that we contribute in the United States and said, well, if its happening somewhere else then we shouldnt fix it. So young that thats a reasonable excuse. But i also do think its important to note that other countries are emitting and we must hold them accountable as we hold ourselves accountable. America has led on lots of initiatives in the past. You have people in hong kong waiting flags and singing the American National anxious embecause with he inspire them. We can do the same thing on Climate Change. Yeah, i would say what you said is totally correct, the United States contributes to 25 of historic emissions in the world. And if we are the country that we say we are, if we are the leaders we say we are, we need to lead by example here and work onway we do here so that the rest of the world can follow our lead. I have a question. When your children ask you, did you do a absolutely everything in your power to stop the Climate Crisis when the storms are getting worse and we see all of the effects of the Climate Crisis when they did ask you can do did you do everything in can you look them in the i who and say no i couldnt do anything because that country over there didnt do anything so if theyre not doing it then im not. That is shameful appear cowardly. And there is no excuse to not take action to not improve how as much as we can in the United States and how can we call ourselves the city on a hill if or the example for the world if we are going to be cowards and hide behind waiting for other people saying im not doing this because they didnt. I want you to think about this is all about being able to look children in the eye and say i did absolutely everything i could for you. I know that were up against a lot of pressure. I know that the time is running out. But like my however you call your kids i did everything i could. I dont understand has as a poirnt how can you look your kid in the eye and say there is the impending crisis, everything is at stake. But i stood back and i didnt really do anything, didnt take action. I didnt act like it was an emergency because our neighbors over there werent doing it. So im not going to. How can you tell your children that . Miss thunberg. I just i think i dont need to add anything but just i another perspective im from sweden, a small country. And there it is the same argument. Why should we do anything . Just look at the u. S. , they say. So just so you know, thats that is being used against you as well. The chair recognizes representative miller. Thank you to chairman koort and ranking measurements graves and our Foreign Affairs counterparts, chairman keating and Ranking Member kensinger for motivating us today. I want to say a thank you to all of you for being here today and for caring so much about our earth. Throughout our work on in committee i have long said that any recommendations that the select committee on the Climate Crisis makes must ensure that we provide for innovation and not taxation. Solutions should work to reduce our Carbon Footprint but not come at detriment of increased costs for consumers. Mr. Bakker, i want to thank you for your leadership and candor. We all must do whatever we can and do our part to take care of our beautiful world. In your testimony you discussed how we cannot regulate our way out of Climate Change. What are some of the ways that we can better utilize technology and increase innovation . Thank you. If we really want to focus on reducing emissions which i think we all agree is the end goal that were talking about here today it needs to be about the results and the results can come from innovation like you are alluding to. If you look at the technologies that we can have around carbon capture, taking Carbon Emissions out of the air from fossil fuel emitting plants and put that into the earth or reuse for another type of products product or looks at shift in transportation secretarieser to transition to cleaner cars and cleaner technologies, thats the example of things that we can do across the globe and continue innovating. Because innovation like i mentioned in my testimony is something that we can export to other countries, very, very easily. Because it creates jobs. It is more efficient and ends up helping the economy. A great example of this is 194 of the Worlds Largest companies have pledged to go 100 renewable by 2030, 2040 or even sooner than that. They are doing that because its more cheap, more efficient and it helps their consumers. Its done that because of innovation. And if we put regulations on Different Industries were not going to be solving the problem. We need to work on decarbonizing fossil fuels and reducing emissions now. We cant do that with regulation. We can only do you that through innovation. We need to to innovate our way out of the Climate Change problem. Thank you. I yield back my time. Vice chairman spanberger. Thank you very much. Thank you for being here. I hold your commitment to fighting for the future generous pgs of the planet to the highest esteem and fwratful for the attention you bring to the issues. Miss thunberg in your speech to anton Antonio Guterres you said we are facing a existential challenge. Cloimt change is real. The effects including changes to rainfall and farmer growing seasoning Sea Level Rise and exacerbation of conflicts abroad are a threat to us all. In fact our Intelligence Community and two former secretaries of defense have cited Climate Change as a root cause and driver of instability and Global Threats make going not just a moral imperative but a narnl National Security kbafr as we well. Im curious have you heard stories or engaged with knows focused on the issues of how cloimt change and the instability it causes internationally are impacting Security Issues and how those might impact our future generations . I have, of course, met many people who have experienced environmental and climaterelated disasters and who try to help people to come back from that. And i havent been meeting so much with people who have told me stories about it being a National Security threat because i see i simply havent had enough time to do that. There are so many people to meet and so many stories to hear. So i cant listen to them all. But i imagine maybe one of the one of the others have. It doesnt seem like they have either. So maybe then you should talk to someone who is an expert in that area. And you mentioned apart from the security aspect of things, that you have spoken with many who have faced disasters at home due to Global Climate change. Could you perhaps give a couple of examples just for the committee to hear of the stories you have heard . Yes, i have met people who whose communities were simply whose neighborhoods were destroyed by natural disasters, who were amplified by the Climate Crisis. Ive met people whose food and wert supplies are being threatened by environmental or climaterelated catastrophes. And its just its so sad that i its so incredibly many people, so incredibly many examples, that that its just horrible because so many who have experienced this and so many who are suffering from this today. And i mean, we are already seeing the consequences unacceptable consequences of this today. And it will only get where is the longer we delay action unless we start to act now. Thank you very much. I would also like to add, answering that question, i would like to acknowledge we have some azmodan protecters in the room right now who are fighting to protect the amazon rain forest. And that is place in the world where people are gravely suffering not exactly from Climate Change itself but from the causes of the Climate Crisis, the Animal Agriculture industry and the collusion of the Animal Agriculture industry with the governments of brazil and other countries that would rather make a shortterm profit than protect the lungs of our planet, the amazon rain for et is the lungs of the marine are planet thats which see we see the massive fiersz its the ij dij in and outnous protecters literally putting bodies on the lynn and suffering the fires. I dont want to speak for them because i dont know all the stories. But i encourage to you talk to them. But as we speak from an American Perspective we also need to realize that the Climate Crisis is global and that even though maybe you know for me perm i have latin american roots and that my family is from clumia. But even if you dont have the roots in latin america, the amazon rain forest is the lungs of the planet. It must burning down we must unite with the Latin Americans and indigenous activist and listen and give them a platform and also not perpetuate the same systems pushing them down. Because its i dont want to speak for this i dont know if vick you have anything to add. But its the same systems of oppression causing the Climate Crisis making people feel the worst effects to add to something i heard earlier i want to see real quick i realizes my time venuing out. Albert einsteinen defined insanity as trying to solve an issue with the same thing causing it. Something that disturbs me a lot is seeing the way we try to colonize and buy and sell our way out of a problem caused by colinization and buying and selling. Thank you, mr. Chairman, i yield back. Representative bircher. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I dont have prepared notes. Im sitting here just thinking, in 1977 i was confronted with a problem. I was my father used to grow tomatoes mr. Chairman i appreciate you and the vice chairman and everybody allowing us to be here. I meant to do the protocol first. I apologize. My father used to grow the tomatoes get about a half dozen tomatoes and put 20 in chemicals and nasty stuff. I thought to myself im putting in in my body. I thought there has to be a better solution. I stopped its called k. U. B. Knoxville utility board. They used to cut the trees grow on the power lines. Grinned them up and at 6 00 in the morning and wake us up. I what do you do with that stuff . We take got to realize this is 1977, okay. And i was in the i was in between my seventh and eighth grade years. And he said we take it to the landfill. I said how much do they pay you for it . We dont. We pay them to take it. And so the wheel started turning in my head. At that point i became a capitalist. I realized that there was money to be made you could save the environment. At that time it saved about 25 of the landfill space in our community. And i got into that business. But i want en a i realize now that of our trash stream about 85 of that is compostable. It does not have to go into the landfill. When it goes into the landfill everybody just a lot of people think it goes away. It doesnt. It creates all kinds of bad things for the environment. The gases one of the most feared gases is methane when something decomposes in thea aerobic or absence of oxygen. 85 of that waste could be turned to soil which could be utilized in a capitalist manner. You wonder about capitalism. I had the opportunity sitting there with aoc i was pitching to her capitalism. I dont know if it caught on or not. But my point was this i said you want to do away with airplanes. Well, airplane engines that put out gases that are harmful to the environment. And i said m. I. T. Right now has an airplane engine that has no moving parts and allegedly puts nothing harmful in the environment. No moving parts. To me thats buck rogers. But i got on youtube and i watched the video. I watched it. You all could probably understand it but my 55yearold brain just doesnt understand it. But its fascinating to me. Granted all it did was fly a glider about the length of a football field. Well i got to thinking. This little cell phone here 20 years ago according to my friends at Oak Ridge National laboratory was a 100 million computer. 20 years ago. Capitalism brought brought this everybody now has a Television Studio has can get to you will a the information in the world. Contact anybody in the world for about about 100 a month. Its a good deal. That was through capitalism. I would encourage you all to explore that. That realm of our of our economy. I have a piece of legislation and i would encourage you all i would like to hear from each one of you all what you think about it. Its called carbon capture. Its a capitalist view of capturing carbon and utilizing. House resolution 3861 i would encourage you all not now look it up get on the computers you all know how to use them better than i do. Somebody will show me when i get your email i would encourage you to read that and see what it is. I applaud you all for being here. I applaud your enthusiasm. Im incredibly proud that you are this concerned about our environment and our world. And thank you so much for being here. Mr. Chairman, i yield back the ramer of my 5 a seconds. Well thank you. Representative lou hand. To all of the members to bringing today to all of the panelists and witnesses here today. I want to thank you as well. Before i begin my questions, though, i just want to remind my colleagues that those mobile phones that were once too big or a desk top that weighed thousands of pounds they got smaller because of federal taxpayer investment by the United States of america investing in the research. So i hope that there is an openness and willingness that we take the same step lets put our money where our mouth is. Make sure that we invest the dollars and answering this call. And miss thunberg i appreciate the power of your testimony. You laid it out in a document right in front of us. A document where experts and scientists have laid out the path in the road for the world to take policy action. Its simple. The work has been done for us. We just have to follow that path. So i want to thank you for that. Now i dont want to have to defend one of my colleagues. She can defend herself as we know. Congresswoman cortes or alexandria ocasiocortes has not said nap she wants to stop air travel. Her policy said lets do better. Lets act. And i think that thats what we are here to do. I apologize i took a bit of my time to respond to some of the statements earlier. But i thought it was important. So mr. Thunberg when i was your age, the concentration of co2 in the atmosphere was 350 parts per million. This year we eclipsed 415 parts per million. Im trying to make some sense ut out of this. What many scientists have said is that we only can get to 430 parts per million to get to increase of 1. 5 degrees or hold 1. 5 degrees increase if we get to 450 parts per million again at 415 already. That gets us to 2 degrees. Let me share what that means. With 1. 5 degrees, 14 of the global population will face extreme heat. At 2 its 37 . At 1. 5 degrees we will see an icefree arctic once every 100 years. At 2 degrees we see it every ten years. At 1. 5 degrees our fisheries decline by 1. 5 million tons and our coral reeves decline by at least 7 oh . At 2 degrees our fishily are is decline by twice that and we lose 99 of our coral reeves. We see the difference between what is devastating and what is even beyond what devastating can even be described as. Mr. Thunberg, the science couldnt be more clear. If we wait the Climate Crisis will only be more devastating just a year ago you were protesting outside the Swedish Parliament. Now you are part of an International Coalition of young people demanding action. I asked a few students that i have the honor of working with in new mexico. And one responded her name is Marina Webber stephens one of the founding members of Global Warming express. Anyone interested can find them at the Global Warming express. Org. And she asked a very important question. But one that imprisoning you have an answer to. And its this. What is the best way to get the Younger Generation teens and students involved in advocacy to address the Climate Crisis . And i would add to that, adults. What can we be doing . How can we get more young people involved . How we can get more young people involved, i think to just tell them the truth. Tell them how it is. And because when i found out how it actually was that made me furious. So i was i wanted to do something about it. And that is the at least i have spoken to many and i think that is the experience many others have. Because as it is now, people in general dont seem to be very aware of the actual science and the dsh how severe this crisis is. I just think we need to inform them and start treating this crisis like like the existential emergency it is. Then i think people will understand and want to do something about it. I think thats powerful. Tell them the truth. With that, i yoeld back. Mr. Carter. Thank you, mr. Chairman. And let me begin by thanking all four of you for being here. I cannot tell you how much this builds up my confidence in the in the Younger Generation having you involved in this. Its extremely important that you be involved in a process. And i applaud you for being here and i thank you for being here. I want to start with you, mr. Bakker. Its really good to see someone interested in such an important project such an important topic i should say. And also who understands that we need to factor in the economy in this. And the Economic Impact that Something Like this could have. Do you think that the state of our economy and the need to maintain a robust economy because after all youre all going to be participating in our economy in a way you already are. But in the future you will be even more. Its important that we have a robust economy so that well be able to provide jobs for young people and for all of our citizens. But do you think its important to consider that when we consider Climate Change . Thank you, mr. Carter. And also thank you for being a member of the roosevelt conservation caucus. Its a caucus started by republicans focused on bringing conservatives back to environmental discussions. Its a major step forward. So thank you. So the economy definitely needs to be a part of this conversation because if we dont take the economy into consideration were leaving the people who are at the most risk at were keeping them at the most risk. Were allowing people who are in the lower poverty levels to be affected the most by our policies. There is an opportunity a strong opportunity to be economically sensible and environment licensable. Economic economic sustain ability and environmental sustain ability do go hand in hand. And i think a lot of people who are on this issue and believe this is a topic thats of importance believe that the Agricultural Industry corporations and fossil fuels are a lot of the times the enemy. But they are part of our society and they are today and will be for the next at least for the shortterm. And so if we want to lower emissions and want to have a cleaner economy we have to work with people instead of against people. Because the only way that were going to truly reduce emissions is to do that and thats true with the economy. We cant have a strong environment without a strong economy. And the worldwide statistics show as i mentioned earlier, that the most free economies are the cleanest in the world. Does that mean theyre done and dont have to do more . Not in the slightest. But economics success and environmental success go hand in hand. Okay if i could dsh did ill let you just a second. I want to show something on the screen if we can get it up. Its a chart this that the epa put out that are we going to believe able to do it . Just told it up. You want me to hold it up. Okay. All right. Are you going to be able to get this . Okay. Well, unfortunately you cant see it very well. But it is a chart that the epa put out in 2018. And it shows the growth of youre economy since 1970. And the United States has actually grown our economy our Gross Domestic Product has grown almost 300 . Our vehicles miles traveled grown almost 20 oh . Population has grown. Energy consumption as grown. But our carbon output decreased over that period of time. So it is possible to do. We can grow the economy and decrease our carbon output. We have done that since 1970. In fact if you look we have decreased 6 common polluteants almost 100 . Since 1970 while growing the economy. It can be done. One thing i want to make sure we understand and see, look, look, listen to me, this is not a Republican Democratic issue. This is an american issue. A world issue. Its not United States versus china versus india. All of us have to work on this together. Ive always i believe in Climate Change. I believe the climate has been changing since day one. Im old enough to remember youre not but im old enough to remember the early 70s we thought we were headed for another ice age. Well, does man have an impact on that . Yes we do have impact . How much that might be a debatable. However we should do something. Thats one of the things that im so excited about. And mr. Bakker you mentioned this about the opportunities that exist here. Because ive always said we have to have three things. We have to have innovation. We have to have mitigation. And weve got to have adaptation. The innovation, the greatest innovators, the greatest scientists in the world are here in the United States of america. Thats why im kited about us leading the way. And i think we can lead the way. Yes we have much to be done. No question about that. You also mention about agriculture. I represent a very rural area in south georgia. The Rural Community is going to play a big part in this. We cant leave them behind. That is going to be very important as well. We have to be very careful. My message is simple. And that is that, yes, this is something we have to deal with. But we cant destroy our economy when we deal with it. We have to keep that in mind. We have to have affordable reliable clean energy. Thank you, mr. Chairman and i yield back. Well, thank you. As we said before we have a hard stop. Here is what i want to just do and in closing there will be no closing statements to allow whatever time is limited. I do want to recognize representative brownlee who has been here paying great attention representative levin, representative titus. Representative omar. And the case we may not have the opportunity because you do have to leave. So ill now recognize representative meeks. Thank you, mr. Chairman. And thank you for this very, very timely and important hearing. Climate change is undoubtably an economic threat. Thats true. A National Security threat. Thats true. And ultimately and most importantly an existential threat. It has battered our coasts and set our forests ablaze. In my home state, mr. Barretts home state of new york, Superstorm Sandy destroyed the property and uprooted lives of thousands of new yorkers. Including many living in my district. I left if left unabated, Climate Change will displays world populations. Islands, mr. Barrett, you are correct, well be gone. Where people currently live. And they will continue to wreak havoc on our own, costing billions in damage, thats economics. If we are not prepared it will be billions of dollars that will cause economic damage. If we dont do something about Climate Change. It will also Climate Change threatens to under do the last 50 years of progress in development, in Global Health. And poverty reduction. So we have to do something. Urgently. If the world that we leave behind we all hold this world in trust for the next generation. So i look at it the world that i leave behind, for my new baby granddaughter will look dramatically different if we do nothing today. Indeed, a draft reduction in oush Carbon Footprint will be one of if not the most Important Missions of our time. I also want to say and i heard miss margolin say this nauchlt. I just want to let you know, that Anxiety Research indeed shows that young people have high levels of anxiety. It isnt though just bus of Climate Change. Everything from the economics, to health disparities, to student loans, et cetera, of course Climate Change is compounding that problem. But what you are doing by being here and leading does make a difference. And i just used the example of one of my colleagues, who at 16 years old helped change and shape a nation. His name was john lewis. He put his life on the line. He had a lot of anxiety if you talked to him. But by doing this with that anxiety and turning that anxiety into something that you are going to lead, to change, it makes the world a better place for all of us. So i compliment you on how you are using your anxiety to make a difference in the world. That is something that is so important. And indeed, yes, all young folks im old enough to remember the Civil Rights Movement when it was led by students and high school students. Who said im sick and tired of being sick and tired. And they changed things. So believe this. That each and every one of you, mr. Bakker, ive been listening to you. You are part of a change thats going to make us all better, making this nation and this world better. One of the things we have fight back and forth but guess what, i still bet on america. We will go through some of the bad times. Because lord knows i have seen bad times. And i have seen us come through it. So i want to say to each one of you, dont give up on america. Because what america is all about is that if we stand up and fight, if we stand up for what we believe in, we will change things. It does make a difference. It is the reason why i can sit here mr. Barrett, because i have seen my father go through some terrible times as an africanamerican, and then i saw barack obama become president of the United States. Not just for black folks but for all folks. Keep up your work. You will make this place we call earth not only exist but thrive and be a better place. And i yield back. Well, thank you. Thank you for your extraordinary testimony. It makes a difference. It will make a difference. By the way its bipartisan. And based on skroins. Thank you for being here. Were also want to thank representative costa who has been here too as well. So you stayed later than you agreed to. I know how hard pressed you are. If we could just ask those in the audience and the press, allow the witnesses to go to the ante rm where we came in from so you can get to the next place more quickly. Please, remain seated. Allow the witnesses to go to the ante room so they can have the the expedited way back to their next meeting, which they agreed to stay longer to hear our testimony. With that, i adjourn this hearing. Thank you. Tomorrow, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump host australian Prime MinisterScott Morrison at the white house. Watch that live friday at 6 30 p. M. Eastern over on cspan. We recently spoke with an australian reporter for more information on the australian leader and his state visit. Paul murray is the compensate tart and host of paul murray live for sky news