Washington, DC — Today, the Senate Special Committee on the Climate Crisis released its “The Case for Climate Action” report. Similar to the Democratic Party platform approved at the DNC last week, the report omits the recommendation to end fossil fuel subsidies and contains virtually no policies designed to rein in the power of the fossil fuel industry.
In response, Greenpeace USA Climate Campaigner Charlie Jiang said:
“Senate Democrats talk a good talk when it comes to environmental justice, labor rights, and the climate crisis, but this report does not walk the walk. It is baffling and infuriating to watch the Democrats walk away from common-sense policies with broad public support, like eliminating fossil fuel subsidies. False solutions like carbon capture and storage (CCS) will not stop runaway climate change or save jobs — they only serve to perpetuate the fossil fuel industry’s stranglehold on our economy and democracy.
“The Republicans have no plan to address the climate crisis, and their abject denial is on full display at the RNC this week. We need Democrats in Congress to rise to the bar set by science and justice, not sink to Trump and Mitch McConnell’s level. Many of the members of this committee have championed bold climate solutions in the past — we’ll hope they’ll return to those roots as soon as possible. As climate-intensified wildfires rage up and down the West Coast and hurricanes close in on the Gulf, communities on the frontlines deserve allies on Capitol Hill who will fight for climate, economic, and social justice.”
The members of the Senate Special Committee on the Climate Crisis are Brian Schatz (Chair, D-HI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Tina Smith (D-MN).
ENDS
Contact: Ryan Schleeter, Senior Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA: +1 (415) 342-2386, [email protected]
