Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus warn of the necessary protection of the Latino community in the face of the effects of climate change and other environmental issues during a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill.

According to the Caucus, these communities are disproportionately affected by environmental risks and pollution, which can lead to serious health problems, according to a report published in SpectrumNews.

The Caucus is calling on lawmakers to act on these issues, including passing legislation to protect communities from pollution, investing in clean energy, and ensuring environmental policies are applied fairly.

The members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus emphasize the urgent need for action on environmental justice issues, arguing that addressing these issues is not only a matter of equity and justice, but also a matter of public health and safety. The Caucus hopes to make progress on these issues by working with other lawmakers and advocacy groups.

“We just passed the Inflation Reduction Act last year. It will help combat climate change reducing our emissions by 40% by 2030”, said Democratic Congressman Darren Soto. “There are a whole range of things from electric cars to solar panels to renewable energy, and every aspect of our lives. And so today we're talking about promoting it in the Hispanic community and also about environmental justice”.

According to the same article, Florida is home to a large Latino population and is also one of the states most susceptible to intense storms and water quality problems. Soto said that “A lot of us live on the lakes, or on the coasts, and a lot of us are farmworkers, or we work in tourism”. So whether it is unbearable heat, whether it is flooding like we saw in east Orlando and in Osceola County, or whether it is pollution, we get affected substantially by these things. So that’s why this discussion is so important”.

As Congress works to pass a new federal budget, Soto is seeking money for several community projects to prevent flooding and improve sewer infrastructure. Soto and other members of the Caucus say they are concerned about House Republicans seeking cuts in federal spending to raise the debt ceiling.

“We saw them pass their ‘Default on America Act’ yesterday that would have been the biggest cut to government spending in history…”

Republicans have said the cuts are necessary to reduce the national deficit.