Andrea Salinas, new Member of Congress for Oregon’s 6th District, brings the number of ICAN pledgers in the US Congress back up to 11, after pledger Carolyn Maloney lost her New York seat due to re-districting. The ICAN Pledge is a commitment by elected officials around the world to work for the signature and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW or “Nuclear Ban Treaty”) by their respective countries.
Rep. Salinas had previously signed the ICAN pledge as a state representative in the Oregon state legislature, where she served as House Majority Whip and Chair of the House Health Care Committee. After being elected to the US Congress, she said she was happy to remain a signatory to the ICAN Pledge in her new capacity.
Rep. Salinas is one of the first Latinas elected to represent Oregon in the US Congress. Her father immigrated from Mexico and Andrea was the first person in her family to graduate from a 4-year college. According to the League of Conservation Voters, Andrea Salinas has been a champion for a healthy environment, working families, and racial justice and equity throughout her career in public service in Oregon.
“In Congress,” said Salinas during her campaign, “I will fight for the urgent action we need to protect our planet and natural resources. I want to ensure that marginalized communities are provided with opportunities to prosper in a new, clean energy economy and not further harmed or marginalized by the impacts of climate change. My approach to fighting climate change is simple: we must take bold steps, while making sure we create living wage jobs and not leave anyone behind in the process.”
We warmly welcome Rep. Salinas to her new role in Congress and look forward to working with her on bold steps to address the climate crisis as well as bold steps to address the nuclear threat! And we hope many more of her colleagues will join her.
