Graves joins climate change panel

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) was named top Republican to a special House committee on climate change Feb. 28. Graves, who is serving a third term of the Baton Rouge area’s 6th Congressional District, says he hopes to broaden the focus on climate change. Protecting the environment is crucial, he told The Associated Press, but lawmakers should also focus on employment opportunities and improving America’s competitiveness in the global economy. “Energy production and consumption, mitigation and adaptation, and shared responsibility must be discussed if we’re truly going to be global in this important conversation,” he said, in explaining his approach favors an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy. Graves, 47, formerly chaired Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority under Gov. Bobby Jindal. He was among six Republicans named to the climate panel, which is led by Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla. (Source: The Associated Press 03/02/19)