The ice sheets are melting, seas are rising, oceans are becoming more acidic, and the atmosphere is full of more climate-changing pollution than at any time in the last 800,000 years. The earth – humanity’s only home – is changing before our very eyes yet Republicans are doubling down on the dirty fossil fuel pollution of the past instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to develop a sustainable, clean energy future.Obama has said he'll veto these bills, but there's a good chance they've already done some damage. The president is in Paris, trying to convince other countries that Americans are committed to reducing carbon emissions and addressing climate change. But the GOP resolutions undermine that message; they tell world leaders that powerful people in the country don't take the issue seriously. World leaders want to see the US lead on climate, and powerful Republicans are basically sticking their tongues out at the global community.
Instead of helping our energy innovators to lead a renewable energy revolution that tackles climate change while creating good-paying, clean-energy jobs, Congressional Republicans want to take us backward with costly reductions in energy efficiency and policies that promote more air pollution around our homes, playgrounds, and parks. The American people are clamoring for a Congress that confronts the great challenge posed by climate change, yet this Republican majority continues to ignore science while doling out favors to the big corporations that fund their campaigns. The American people deserve and need better.