But reducing harmful emissions, abating our dependence on foreign oil and developing alternative renewable energy sources have benefits that go beyond environmental health, they improve personal health, enhance national security and encourage our nation’s economic viability.

Clyburn frames climate and energy policy as a “co-benefits” argument: cutting emissions and shifting from imported oil to renewables is not only an environmental imperative but also a practical public-policy package. The quote links cleaner air to reduced illness and health costs (“personal health”), energy independence to geopolitical resilience (“national security”), and investment in new energy industries to jobs and competitiveness (“economic viability”). Rhetorically, it broadens the coalition for action by appealing to voters who may be less motivated by environmental protection alone, suggesting that decarbonization aligns with mainstream economic and security interests rather than standing in opposition to them.