In the past year, following Rep. Chris Gibson’s (R, NY-19) introduction of H. Res. 424, the Republican resolution on climate change, the political will to address climate change in a bipartisan fashion in Congress has steadily grown.
Since the resolution was initially introduced on September 17th, 2015, the following things have occurred in Congress:
- New resolution co-sponsors: H. Res. 424 now has 13 Republican co-sponsors, in addition to Rep. Gibson. For a current list, please see here.
- Senate Republican Energy and Environment Working Group: This working group was created on October 29th, 2015, by Republican Senators Ayotte (NH), Graham (SC), Alexander (TN) and Kirk (IL) toencourage greater dialogue on energy and environmental policy in the Senate.
- Bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus: On February 5th, 2016, Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R, FL-26) and Ted Deutch (D, FL-21) formed the first ever bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus. The caucus keeps an even number of Republican and Democrat members, and seeks to discuss and brief members on “economically viable, market-driven approaches to [reduce] carbon emissions that can efficiently and effectively address this threat” of climate change.
- House Republican Energy, Innovation, and Environment Working Group: On March 15th, 2016, 12 House Republicans formed a working group to work for “market-based reforms that will grow America’s economy, promote cleaner energy production, and preserve the quality of our air and water.”
Several notable bipartisan votes on amendments addressing climate change took place:
- On April 21st, 2016, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced a climate change amendment to the FY2017 Energy and Water appropriations bill. This amendment had 5 Republican and 5 Democrat co-sponsors, and stated that human activity contributes to climate change. Among other things, the amendment stated that since over 180 countries, including China, India, and Brazil, have made commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, Congress has a responsibility to act as well.
- On June 16th, 2016, 24 Republicans voted with the Democrats against an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 that prohibits funds to implement Department of Defense (DOD) Directive 4715.21 on Climate Change Adaption and Resilience, requiring the Pentagon to prioritize climate change over national security. The amendment passed, 216-205.
- On July 12th, 2016, 33 Republicans voted with the Democrats against an amendment to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 that would eliminate funding for the EPA Air, Climate, and Energy research program. The amendment failed, 208-217.
Address Climate Disruption
This progress was made possible because of citizen lobbying and positive engagements with legislators, even when we don’t always agree with every vote they take.
While we at FCNL are still working towards bipartisan, comprehensive climate legislation, it is important to acknowledge the immense progress made and the groundwork that has been laid for the next Congress.
