On Nov. 7, Democrat Gabe Amo and Republican Gerry Leonard will face off in the general election for Rhode Island鈥檚 1st U.S. Congressional District.
The first district, encompassing much of Providence and the east side of the state, is overwhelmingly Democratic. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than three-to-one, and President Joe Biden ran up a margin of nearly 30 points in the 2020 election. Still, the congressional race will require Amo and Leonard to make their case to Rhode Islanders 鈥� especially on the issue of climate change, which could have devastating across the state.
Ahead of the election, The Herald spoke with both campaigns to learn more about how their platforms hope to turn both the country and state greener 鈥斅燼s well as their thoughts about the Inflation Reduction Act.
Both candidates stressed that addressing climate change is a top priority. 鈥淓very one of us wants to make sure that our streets aren't getting flooded, and that we have clean air and clean water,鈥� Leonard said.
Amo will 鈥渨ork tirelessly to bring resources back to the Ocean State,鈥� continue outreach to raise awareness about climate change and 鈥渕ake the state more resilient,鈥� wrote Matt Rauschenbach 鈥�23, Amo鈥檚 communications director, in an email to The Herald.
Following the 2021 passage of Rhode Island鈥檚 Act on Climate, which established guidelines for more aggressive emission reduction policies, the state has directed its focus on reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
According to Rauschenbach, Amo will encourage 鈥渓eaders to apply for all available federal funds and grants,鈥� specifically those concerned with 鈥渃oastal resilience, urban forestry, 鈥� public buildings and infrastructure.鈥澛�
Nationally, Rauschenbach highlighted Amo鈥檚 commitment to upholding the Biden administration鈥檚 , the first national law offering wide-reaching subsidies for renewable energy and grants for climate adaptation, mitigation and research and development. Amo鈥檚 campaign website additionally that he will 鈥渇ight for more legislation at the federal level to combat climate change.鈥�
Amo 鈥渨ill continue to support the administration in its implementation efforts to prove the necessity of maintaining the historic legislation,鈥� Rauschenbach wrote.
Leonard pointed to the IRA as one of a 鈥渘umber of pieces of legislation and acts鈥� that have contributed to inflation which has in turn put middle- and working-class families in Rhode Island in a 鈥渞ough place.鈥澛�
The Congressional Budget Office in 2022 that the IRA鈥檚 impact on inflation would be 鈥渘egligible.鈥�
Transitioning to renewable energy in the next 10 to 15 years, Leonard said, is not 鈥減ractical,鈥� referencing support for an 鈥渁n all-of-the-above energy policy,鈥� a a mixture of fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable energy.
Leonard especially pushed for an expansion of nuclear, noting its reliability in comparison with wind and solar.
鈥淚 do think we have the energy (from fossil fuels and natural gas) that we ought to be using right now as a bridge to get to where we want to be in the future,鈥� Leonard said, explaining how he believes the United States has the potential to become a 鈥渘et exporter鈥� of 鈥渕uch cleaner fuel 鈥� to generate enough revenue to continue building out a renewable structure.鈥澛犅�
Rauschenbach pointed to how Amo will work to support climate justice. Amo would 鈥渉old the Biden administration accountable鈥� to meet the goals of the Justice40 Initiative, which mandates that 鈥渁t least 40% of the benefits of certain federal programs鈥� go to disadvantaged communities to aid in climate-related issues, The Herald previously reported.
鈥淲e must ensure that the communities that have been most affected by climate change and pollution, often Black and brown communities, get the resources they need,鈥� Rauschenbach wrote.聽
Amo also plans to work with community organizations to access available resources and funding from IRA and the , including the Environmental Protection Agency鈥檚 鈥�$2 billion program,鈥� he wrote.聽
鈥淓very one of us, we need to make sure that we have clean air and clean water,鈥� Leonard said. 鈥淭he methods we use to get there, I may have different opinions than my opponent this election. 鈥� But I think probably the ends are the same.鈥澛�
Julia Vaz is the managing editor of newsroom and vice president on The Herald's 134th Editorial Board. Previously, she covered Environment and Crime & Justice as a Metro editor. A concentrator in political science and modern culture and media, she loves watching Twilight (as a comedy) and casually dropping the fact she is from Brazil.
