Dear Editor:
In our fragile democracy, we need to criticize our representatives when we disapprove of what they do (or fail to do), and we need to commend them when we approve of what they do, especially if it involves swimming against the political tide. I do both with our representative, U.S. Rep. John Faso, R-Kinderhook.
On Jan. 11, 106 House members signed a letter criticizing the president’s National Security Strategy for omitting any mention of climate change, even though the National Defense Authorization Act the president signed last month explicitly recognizes climate change as a national security threat.
Of those 106 signatories, just 11 were Republicans. John Faso was one of the two from New York. I commend him for his action and for standing by his principles.
This was not Faso’s only stand on climate change during his first year in Congress. Early on, he joined the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus and signed the Republican climate change resolution. He also co-sponsored the Climate Solutions Commission Act, the Organic Agriculture Research Act and the Methane Emissions Mitigation Act, and recently he sponsored the Healthy Fields and Farm Economies Act.
There is another, badly needed action Faso could take to address climate change without abandoning any of his conservative principles: He could cosponsor bipartisan, revenue-neutral legislation putting a price on carbon. This would make him a real climate hero in the eyes of many on both sides of the political aisle. I know he can and hope he will take that action, soon.
Bruce Frishkoff, member
Ghent, N.Y.
