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[Page S3227]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CLIMATE CHANGE
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on the climate, as I have said so many
times, no threat poses a greater danger to our planet than that of
climate change. The last 5 years have been the warmest on record. There
is more carbon dioxide in the air than any point in human history. Our
children and grandchildren will live with the consequences of the
decisions we make today. We need all hands on deck--the Federal
Government, local governments, municipalities, corporate leaders,
global efforts--if we are to meet the challenges of climate change
head-on, but for years our government has been too slow to act and more
often than not we have done nothing or very little.
Just yesterday, President Trump once again--not based on fact, based
on whim, as he so often acts--voiced a dangerous skepticism about
climate change while meeting with Prince Charles.
Now, one of the biggest reasons for the slow progress on climate
policy has been the oppressive grip of Big Oil, Big Gas, and Big Coal,
on our political system. They spent untold millions to debunk climate
science and torpedo climate legislation. One of the largest
perpetrators has been the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which never reveals
its donors and has acted all too often as a front for Big Oil.
Recently, as public support for action upon climate change has grown
even more overwhelming, the chamber is starting to sing a different
tune. They have launched a campaign for cleaner energy sources. They
have added a new section to their website, ``Addressing Climate
Change.'' They now even say that, on this issue, ``inaction is not an
option.'' Well, I could not agree more; inaction is not an option, but
color me skeptical about the chamber.
I hope to see the chamber follow its public stance with real action,
but until I do, I fear this change is merely cosmetic. All too often,
the big oil and big coal companies don't act themselves, although some
do, but they let the chamber do their dirty work for them. So today
Sheldon Whitehouse and I, along with a number of our colleagues, will
be sending a letter to the chamber, calling on them to speak out
against the administration's effort to undermine the ``National Climate
Assessment.'' It is not enough to simply say: Oh, well, it is a
problem.
Inaction is not an option. They must do something concrete. This is a
concrete action we are proposing that will make a difference. I read in
today's New York Times that companies are now beginning to plan for how
climate change will cost them more money in the next 5 years. They
don't think it is no problem. They don't think it is a 30-year problem.
These companies and their interest in their profits--that is how they
should be interested, although I would like to see them a little more
interested in workers and communities and climate. These companies, for
their own bottom lines, are saying climate change is real, and we
better do something.
Well, one way the chamber can move things along is to speak out
against this administration in its efforts to undermine the ``National
Climate Assessment.'' For years, this study has been the gold standard
for climate research within our government. It is not partisan. It is
factual; it is based on science; and it assesses the long-term threats
to climate change.
The President is sort of, on climate, a member of the Flat Earth
Society, just denying the facts. It would be as if Columbus sailed, and
the President still said the earth is flat. That is how he is acting on
climate. Well, the Chamber ought to break with that. They ought to let
science and facts determine how we act.
This is a moment when the Chamber could actually use its influence to
convince the administration to reverse course. If the business
community said this, it would make a big difference. So this is a
moment. Let's see if the chamber really wants to prove that they are
for climate change. Let's see. Let's see. If they don't, we ask their
members who say they believe in climate--and who are even planning for
the problems we face--to put pressure on them to do it. Let's hope.
Let's hope.
Now, before I yield the floor, I just want to send a kudos--he
reminded me that the word ``kudos'' is singular, not plural, which I
did not know for all of my years here. Mr. President, I see by your
reaction, you did not know either. It is a kudos. So let me gave a
kudos to Sheldon Whitehouse's leadership on this issue. One of his many
positive traits is he knows grammar and all of that much better than
most of us, but one of his greater traits is how he has been relentless
in pushing forward on climate and on pushing corporate America to do
more.
I look forward to continuing to work with him to shed light on the
role that Big Money plays in undermining climate policy, and I look
forward to hearing from the chamber of commerce on what they have to
say about the administration's latest attacks on climate science.
I yield the floor.
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