Capital District Times

Paul Tonko, a member of the U.S. Congress representing New York's 20th district, recently shared his views on pressing issues through a series of tweets. His statements address the climate crisis and recent political developments.

On January 21, 2025, Paul Tonko highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change by referencing ongoing natural disasters. He stated, "Catastrophic events like the wildfires in Southern California are showing us that the climate crisis is already here. We cannot afford to move backward on climate if we hope to leave a cleaner, safer planet for our children and grandchildren."

In another tweet posted on the same day, Tonko criticized actions taken by former President Trump shortly after taking office. He wrote about various policy reversals that he believes have negative implications for environmental progress: "After less than a day in office, Trump’s actions have already set us back decades on climate: Withdrawing from the Paris Climate accords Halting critical wind power projects nationwide Halting spending on EV charging infrastructure Expanding drilling in the Arctic."

Later that day, Tonko expressed concern over perceived leniency towards supporters of President Trump involved in assaults against law enforcement officers. He remarked, "It is a dark day for our nation when the President of the United States gives out a free pass to assault police officers — so long as you’re one of his supporters."