I’m writing to thank Sen. Angus King, Rep. Chellie Pingree and Rep. Jared Golden for voting in favor of the Inflation Reduction Act.

This bill is a great achievement, and to date, it’s the biggest investment made by the United States to fight climate change. With the Inflation Reduction Act, we’ll get many needed changes, including: tax credits for clean-energy development and deployment; money for increasing energy efficiency in households; funds for environmental justice programs, and methane reduction through a fee on methane emissions.

These changes can’t come soon enough. The impacts of climate change are being felt all over the world, including here in Maine. In Portland, we broke a heat record on Aug. 7, and the southern part of the state is in a drought, leaving many of us with brittle brown lawns and dry wells.

That’s why I felt such relief when the bill passed and was signed into law by President Biden. It won’t fix things overnight, but it gives us a chance to seriously address the impacts of climate change.

I appreciate the leadership shown by Sen. King, Rep. Pingree and Rep. Golden. I ask and expect that all members of Congress, and those running for office, will follow their example in any future bills that address climate change. We can’t afford any more delays.

Erica Bartlett
Portland