[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 5, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1637-S1638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Climate Change

  Madam President, on climate, Leader McConnell has spent a great deal 
of time talking about bringing his version of the Green New Deal to the 
floor. Everybody knows it is nothing more than a political stunt. 
Everybody knows the same Republican leader decried bringing bills to 
reopen the government because the President wouldn't sign them, and he 
said those were stunts. Now he is doing the same thing. It is amazing 
sometimes that there can be a 180-degree turn so quickly.
  So let's talk about some of the things Leader McConnell could 
actually do to move the ball forward on climate change, which now more 
and more people--two thirds of Americans, if you believe in polling--
believe is a real threat to our planet that demands the Senate's 
action, not stunts, not games.
  All 47 Democrats have introduced a resolution that affirms three 
simple things; one, climate change is real;

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two, climate change is caused by human activity; and, three, Congress 
must immediately act to address the problem. Leader McConnell could 
bring that resolution to the floor. He could say he believes climate 
change is real and deserves our time and attention. Given the rampant 
denialism from some wings of the Republican Party, including so many in 
the White House, that would be notable progress, but I don't think it 
will happen.
  You scratch your head and wonder why. Why would they be so afraid to 
even say climate change is real? One possible answer many people think 
is the cause, one of the main causes, is oil money--oil money. The oil 
industry has such power around here--and much of that money is dark, by 
the way--that Republicans are afraid to admit the candid truth and say 
climate change is real.
  Our resolution doesn't talk about how you propose to deal with this 
very real issue. We are not locking people into this proposal or that 
proposal. We are simply saying, let's start talking about it. Actually, 
the one good thing about Leader McConnell's stunt is we are talking 
about it, and that is a good thing. I have news for the leader. We will 
keep talking about it throughout this whole Congress, and we will keep 
trying to use our leverage to make it easier to resist the bad forces 
of carbon dioxide entering our atmosphere.
  So we are going to keep at this. We are going to keep at this, Leader 
McConnell. No stunt that you put on the floor is going to deter us. We 
are preparing legislation to defund President Trump's attempt to create 
a fake climate panel within the executive branch. Leader McConnell can 
bring that legislation to the floor once it is ready so Congress can 
tell the President that we do not tolerate the intentional 
dissemination of disinformation to the American public on any issue, 
especially climate change.
  Democrats have also said any infrastructure bill must include 
substantial investments in green jobs. That is something Leader 
McConnell could pursue. We all like jobs. Many Members on his side of 
the aisle believe in wind and solar power--well, not many but at least 
some. Let's move forward on that. We need to upgrade our power grids. 
We need to make energy more available and cheaper and greener. Let's do 
that.
  There are many more things besides, but make no mistake, before and 
after Leader McConnell's political stunt on climate change, Democrats 
will continue to focus on the issue, propose solutions, and try to get 
some of those solutions enacted into law in the places we have some 
leverage, even as a minority.
  There is an enormous energy--enormous energy in this country, 
particularly among young Americans--to take bold action on climate 
change. They see the planet on which they live changing before their 
eyes, not for the better, and they are absolutely right. It is our job 
to channel the energy of those young people--wonderful energy; I am so 
glad it is out there--into bold legislation that addresses the climate 
crisis head on, and that is exactly--exactly--what Democrats will do, 
even if Republicans continue to play these political games in their 
efforts to try to keep their heads in the sand and ignore that climate 
change is real.