24th Congressional District John Katko (R) vs Dana Balter (D)
The big battle on the CNY ballot after the Presidential race is between incumbent John Katko, who is seeking a fourth term in office, and Dana Balter, who is running again after losing in 2018.
John Katko
Katko has yet to reply to the CCAA survey. However, he does have the endorsement of a conservative clean energy group called the Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. In the past, Katko has co-sponsored a resolution in the House of Representatives that acknowledged humans’ role in climate change. However, that doesn’t paint the full picture as Katko often votes against environmental legislation.
During his time in office, Katko has voted on 172 pieces of climate-related legislation, but only voted pro-environment 53 times. The Congressman frequently votes against environmental bills instead of for them and overall only supports environmental protection about 20% of the time. Katko tends to portray himself as bipartisan, but his record does not show support for a bipartisan issue like climate change.
Likewise, Katko has Energy and Environment listed as one of his issues on his website, but again that fails to tell the whole story. While he says he supports investment in clean energy—his record states otherwise—Katko also says that he would like to increase fossil fuel production in an environmentally friendly way.
The Congressman has also fallen into party lines as Katko endorsed President Trump in the 2020 election after calling for Trump to drop out back in 2016. Trump notoriously calls climate change a “hoax” and has pulled back on environmental regulations many times during his tenure.
Dana Balter
Balter responded to the survey and listed the environment as an additional priority on her website, but in the survey stated that addressing climate change would be a “top priority” if she was to be elected. Specifically, Balter supports a carbon tax as a bipartisan way to encourage investment in renewable energy and end the reliance on fossil fuels. With the money raised by the carbon fee, Balter said that she would like to invest in green technology and infrastructure.
For investments, Balter would like to replace the old water systems so that our drinking water is clean, and she would like to modernize the grid so that the switch to renewable energy is easier.
As this district’s national representative, Balter would champion many of the same initiatives New York State already has in place. Balter would support a nationwide ban on fracking and would enact national legislation that closely follows New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). She also supports rejoining the Paris Climate Accords, making electric vehicles more affordable, and has many of the same goals as Joe Biden.
“I support Joe Biden’s plan to build a 100% clean energy economy, achieve environmental justice, advance sustainable agriculture, and invest in modern infrastructure, public transportation, and energy-efficient buildings,” Balter said. “As a member of Congress, I would work closely with the Biden-Harris administration to see these goals come to fruition.”
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