“My view is, instead of using taxes and regulatory actions to exterminate certain segments of the economy that provide energy, our responsibility on the federal level is to invest in research programs that will create the next generation of energy or improve the efficiency or lower the carbon footprint of existing sources of energy. Then let the markets decide where to go.”
The Right Voices on Climate
“The climate is changing. The issue is what’s the cause and what do we do about it?… The progress that we have made in a cleaner environment has been happening precisely because we have a strong free-market economy.”
Mike Pence
“Innovation is the only way to solve climate change…Future innovation should be kickstarted, not shut down. Unleashing innovation is the conservative solution.”
Nikki Haley
“[I] believe that the climate is changing, that there’s a warming taking place. I’m happy to concede there is likely a human component to that.”
Mike Pompeo
“Strengthening our environment need not be a partisan issue. That’s why I’ve worked with Democrats and Republicans alike to advance commonsense proposals in Congress and serve as a member of the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus. Advancing realistic legislation to make our communities more resilient — while preventing America from falling prey to predatory corporate and left-wing climate catastrophism — is hard work, but within our reach. Delivering clean land, air, and water for future generations of Americans is a priority too important to squander.”
Marco Rubio
“We’re committed to policies that advance a clean energy future for the United States. But you know what else we are committed to? We are committed to solutions that have been proven to work.”
Garret Graves
“Southwest Florida’s waterways are the lifeblood of our community and economy. It is our responsibility and obligation to preserve and protect these precious waterways for generations to come. I support environmental research and studies that not only preserves our waters, but also leads to sensible solutions, that do not burden taxpayers.”
Byron Donalds
“We should be talking about energy freedom, new technologies, and discoveries. Instead the debate in Washington continues to be about how much we should subsidize solar or ethanol, and whether we should prohibit nuclear energy or coal. We should shift the debate and cut the red tape. Like all other sectors of the economy, allowing businesses and ideas to compete on the free market will not only produce the most efficient forms of energy, but will also pass along the cost savings to the consumer.”
Rand Paul
“If we want to tackle climate change, reduce emissions, and power the grid, then we need the proper mix of energy. We need to make sure that nuclear not only stays on the grid, but grows on it.”
Dan Crenshaw
“Proposals to reduce emissions and be good stewards of the Earth do not need to hurt the American economy, in fact, it’s just the opposite. There is a way to lower emissions without sacrificing American jobs and principles.”
John Curtis
“It is estimated that the demand for energy across the country could grow nearly 50 percent by the year 2050, making carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies as important as ever in the fight against climate change. CCUS will not only help America meet the growing demand for energy, but will also be critical to reducing emissions and supporting a cleaner environment.”
Lisa Murkowski
“As the global demand for energy continues to soar, it will be necessary for America to pursue an energy policy that is built on the solid foundation of domestic production, technological innovation, and efficient consumption…Nuclear, hydro, geothermal, and other forms of renewable energy should all be a part of our portfolio.”
Mike Lee
“As I’ve said before, we should build upon our energy systems, not dismantle them. We should stop attacking the source of American innovation, stop trying to pick winners and losers. We should recognize the essential role technological innovation and American free enterprise serves to address climate risks.”
Cathy McMorris Rodgers
“As Republicans, we recognize that climate action cannot be measured by a bill’s price tag or page count. We are not looking for a silver bullet to solve climate change; we are focused on real solutions that will work. Solving environmental challenges means introducing targeted solutions that will make a difference today and investing in breakthrough technologies that will make energy cleaner, cheaper, and more affordable in the long run.”
Kevin McCarthy
“Our solutions are simple yet effective. Where many Democrats want to shut down, ban, and overregulate, we want to incentivize, innovate, and progress through market-based solutions. Take the Trillion Trees Act as an example. Trees are the most economical carbon sequestration mechanism we have, and scientists estimate that planting 1 trillion trees globally would sequester the equivalent of two-thirds of all man-made carbon since the Industrial Revolution. More than just using trees to pull carbon out of the atmosphere, the Trillion Trees Act establishes programs that help convert that stored carbon into long-lived forest products, sequestering carbon for generations and opening space for new trees.”
Bruce Westerman
“Years ago, this was an issue that conservatives would run from. But it’s been amazing just looking back at the strategies that have been most successful in reducing emissions and ensuring the affordability of energy and it’s actually been the very solutions that conservatives have been pushing.”
Garret Graves
“We’re in this situation where Republican or conservative solutions have resulted in lower emissions which have resulted in more affordable energy and the U.S. becoming energy independent. When you look at some of the solutions like the Green New Deal, those are the very policies that have resulted in higher emissions, and are the biggest drivers in cost of living and energy unaffordability increases.”
Garret Graves
“The thing that people need to understand too is the ability of American industry to do things cleaner. [It is] more environmentally safe to produce energy and minerals here than other countries in the world. We are head and shoulders above other countries when it comes to that. Putting roadblocks in front of the process pushes these industries to other countries where they don’t do it as well and in effect is more damaging to our planet. So, it’s kind of an interesting conundrum that we find ourselves in—we can do it cleaner here but we don’t.”
Dan Newhouse
“I want to make sure that farmers get credit for that and that we are seen as part of the solution, instead of being pointed at as one of the problems that we need to fix because I think we can truly point to our record and the things that we do as being beneficial for the environment.”
Dan Newhouse
“If you actually want to save the planet, what you need is an emission-less energy source that at the same time is plentiful, relatively cheap, and accessible and that is how I got to nuclear policy. The toughest part is that we have to unwind the dogma around nuclear, but I think we can definitely do that because once you do, you address the need for wanting to save the planet, and it’s a need I completely understand. I know why people want to do that, I want to do that, I don’t want to destroy the planet. I’m going to be alive a lot longer, so will my kids so I want to make sure that the planet is healthy for me, for my children, and everybody as well. At the same time you have to address the economic issues of having baseload power and baseload power is the way you grow economies. It’s the way people feed themselves, clothe themselves, etcetera.”
Byron Donalds
“Fusion technology, doubling down on our investments there. That is the future, that is a place where everyone understands the beauty of that technology, where it’s going, and the miracles that can happen with energy policy.”
Nancy Mace
“I think NEPA and permitting reform needs to be in place…And we have a lot of federal agencies and bureaucracies that are getting in the way of innovation and we’ve got to [modernize] regulations…”
Nancy Mace
“If there is a climate emergency, it’s not a national one–it’s not like the environment stops at our borders— it’s a global one so we’ve got to look at a larger perspective on these sorts of things. The answer is really taking our responsibly-made goods and products and having them take up more of the world’s market. It’s great for national security, it’s great for the economy, and it also happens to be the best thing for these environmental goals as well.”
Michael Cloud
“We can strengthen our energy grid and produce more power than ever before. But we can only accomplish this if Congress takes action to provide American researchers and developers a regulatory framework that makes room for fusion energy.”
Jay Obernolte
“America needs a regulatory environment that reflects the vast differences between fusion and fission and allows these technologies to be implemented and managed accordingly. We also need a national energy framework that can bolster this emerging technology with research and development and support the integration of fusion energy into an “all-of-the-above” energy portfolio.”
Jay Obernolte
“Nuclear is one of our most reliable and one of our cleanest energy sources, yet China and Russia are doing more to prioritize nuclear than our own country.”
Adrian Smith
“U.S. LNG is up to 30% cleaner than Russian natural gas. U.S. LNG exports can help Europe keep the lights and heat on during this unprecedented time while simulatneously bringing down global emissions.”
Adrian Smith
“This morning at COP27, I joined a discussion about the importance of investing in American innovation and manufacturing within the renewable energy sector. We must take advantage of our own resources to prevent countries like China from monopolizing the industry.”
Mariannette Miller-Meeks
“When you look at what we’re doing in the agricultural space, it has a huge contribution, not only on conservation, but on energy production. We do ethanol biodiesel, we use manure from livestock production to go back into energy sources, the heat that’s generated from digesters goes back in so you have a closed-loop system. But then we also have the residue left over that can go into compressed natural gas and can go into biodiesel. It’s really amazing what the agricultural sector is doing to reduce carbon emissions, replenish soil and water quality, and also providing liquid fuels as well as food for the globe.”
Mariannette Miller-Meeks
“70% of solar panels are made in China, the vast majority of processing for various minerals is in China. China is not friendly to us, they’re the world’s biggest emitter, and I don’t care what kind of rhetoric they say, they have no intentions of decreasing those emissions. So, what are we going to do about that? Conservative solutions surround things like, let’s have better regulation and permitting processes in America, because we actually have those resources, and maybe we should process that. We should be honest about the carbon footprint of buying these things manufactured in China. Prosperity, energy security, and clean energy are the goals.”
Dan Crenshaw
“My district has a unique component that I think all conservatives share. They care deeply about the land we inherit from our fathers and mothers. They care deeply about leaving it better than they found it. Yet ironically, we’ve been branded as not caring about the environment. Why? Because we push back on the litmus test and extremism of ideas that take the head off to fix the headache.”
John Curtis
“I think what’s most important is taking things into bite-sized pieces. Let’s talk about redesigning the grid to be able to handle distributive generation. Let’s talk about investment in resilience. Let’s talk about concepts for conservation and energy efficiency where you actually reduce the cost of energy consumption for residential and commercial consumers. Bringing down costs of building products in your country, therefore improving competitiveness. There are many, many things where, if we break it into bite-sized pieces, we’re all on the same page and we can find solutions that are actually cost-effective.”
Garret Graves
“AK has a complete checklist of all the components needed to become a global hydrogen leader. In the bipartisan infrastructure law we included funding to establish hydrogen hubs. I’m pleased to see the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. take these steps to be an Alaska Hydrogen Hub.”
Lisa Murkowski
“The administration should take meaningful steps to increase domestic oil and gas production, such as approving key energy projects right here in Alaska.”
Lisa Murkowski
“The most basic way to look at the global energy challenge is to understand that American manufacturing is cleaner. Global industry – China in particular – is much dirtier than U.S. industry. This is an area where America has and can continue to lead.”
Carol Miller
“We can be energy independent and we can still reduce emissions. And that’s what the caucus is all about. Republicans going on the offensive and saying, ‘Look, we care about the environment, we want to reduce emissions, here’s our plan.'”
John Curtis
“We don’t have to sacrifice energy independence. We don’t have to sacrifice higher prices. We don’t have to sacrifice our economy. And we can still lower emissions, all of those things, they’re not mutually exclusive.”
John Curtis
“The United States led the world in lowering emissions while lowering energy costs for American households. We accomplished this by utilizing American resources made cheaper by innovation. Instead of punishing Americans with high prices, reducing consumer choice, or making it harder for Americans to innovate, we should be exporting this model of success to the rest of the world.”
Kevin McCarthy
“Regardless of the claims of pundits and critics, traditional sources of energy and industrial methods are a critical component to our nation’s economy, security, and even our way of life. Even though more work is necessary, carbon capture can ensure continued American leadership in those industries and reduce our impact on the environment.”
Michael Burgess
“You’ve got very brilliant people in our country, we’re constantly coming up with new innovations. We just have to turn those folks loose so they can do the job and solve the problems that we have.”
Bruce Westerman
“I think we can innovate, we can develop new sources, and the United States can absolutely lead on this.”
Mariannette Miller-Meeks
“If the government would get out of the way and let the private sector do their work, I think we’d all be better off, particularly in the way of energy.”
Buddy Carter
“The data tells us that a free-market approach to conservation is the best way to go. We have this abundance of resources in the U.S. that can be beneficial for the environment, beneficial for the economy—especially in rural areas, but you have to let those market factors work and you have to have access to those resources.”
Bruce Westerman
“It was never the case that conservatives don’t care about the climate, there was always good, productive work going on.”
Blake Moore
“Renewable energy is essential to the future of South Jersey’s economy and vital to protecting our environment.”
Jeff Van Drew
“America has amazing potential. We have changed the world through our innovation, making it a better place. Energy security is a major challenge, but it will be surmounted through American ingenuity, innovation, and natural resources.”
David Valadao
“In the short term, we must reduce red tape and end frivolous litigation that blocks the development of America’s energy resources. Energy security is a major challenge that can be overcome by making use of American ingenuity, innovation, and natural resources.”
David Valadao
“I firmly believe we must increase our supply of safe, clean energy to provide power for our electrical grid. To achieve that, we need a diverse, ‘all of the above’ energy plan that includes nuclear and clean coal power plants as well as oil and natural gas exploration, wind, solar, and hydro energy. These proven technologies have minimal impact on the environment and create jobs right here in the United States.”
David Valadao
“There is a way to lower global emissions without sacrificing American jobs and principles – and I believe Republicans are the ones that can and should be leading the charge.”
David Joyce
“Republicans need to have a voice in creating practical solutions to address climate change. As conservatives, we are a group dedicated to implementing policies that reduce emissions and ensure Americans are good stewards of the environment without sacrificing jobs or hurting our economy. It’s my hope that this caucus will make real progress on climate policies by embracing the free market and American innovation so that the United States continues to be the global leader in reducing emissions.”
David Joyce
“Renewable energy plays a critically-important role in our nation’s energy portfolio and is a key source of power in Central Washington. We are blessed to have a diverse mix of clean and renewable energy sources in the region—including hydropower and nuclear energy—making Central Washington a great example of utilizing an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy.”
Dan Newhouse
“The U.S. should be leading the way by exporting our energy and our technology around the world and focus on innovating.”
David McKinley
“I believe we have an obligation to ensure a healthy and safe environment for the benefit of current as well as future generations.”
Chris Smith
“Here is the truth: While Earth’s climate is changing, there is no credible scenario that will lead to the destruction — or salvation — of the planet within 10 to 12 years, as some Green New Deal proponents allege. Also true: Communities and local businesses in my home state of Florida are already dealing with the very real impacts of rising sea levels, and yet, the Green New Deal will do nothing to address that reality. Thankfully, there are realistic proposals that will make longer-term climate challenges much easier to deal with.”
Marco Rubio
“While some would have us believe we can only protect the environment by giving the federal government more control over Americans’ lives, my bill shows we can act while still respecting Americans’ private property rights and the Constitution’s limits on federal power.”
Rand Paul
“As soon as I took office we developed a bold agenda to be good stewards of Florida’s environment and a key component of that agenda has been recognizing and addressing coastal resiliency and flood mitagtion…Today we’ve probably taken the most significant steps that have been taken in Florida in quite some time. We’re establishing immediate and multi-year plans to tackle state-wide flooding and coastal resilience.”
Ron DeSantis
“Harnessing South Dakota’s sunshine and wind is critical to expanding clean, renewable energy solutions. But like any industry, renewable energy production cannot thrive under heavy regulation and long approval processes. This bill is a commonsense approach from industry experts, legislators, and the Commission to reduce regulatory redundancy, right-size the permitting process, and provide certainty to further solar and wind energy production in South Dakota.”
Kristi Noem
“Ultimately, we want to tap our country’s greatest natural resource: the American people. Our creative potential is the most powerful force on Earth. It’s why we’ve solved every problem that’s ever come our way. Climate change can be no different.”
Nikki Haley
“America has been blessed with incredible natural beauty. Everyone wants to protect it. We all want pure air, clean water, and healthy children. America has also been blessed with abundant natural resources. Everyone benefits when we use them responsibly, but the far left doesn’t want to use them at all.”
Nikki Haley
“Look, we all want clean air, safe drinking water. But the Paris agreement was a fantasy for elite diplomats who just wanted to virtue signal. And when President Biden re-entered this deal, I can tell you that Xi Jinping was smiling every single minute.”
Mike Pompeo
“What’s remarkable is that the United States has reduced CO2 more than countries that are still in the Paris Climate Accord, but we’ve done it through innovation. And we’ve done it through natural gas and fracking.”
Mike Pence
“I think global warming is real. I don’t think that’s deniable. And I do think human activity contributes to it.”
Chris Christie
“Securing continued U.S. energy independence requires unleashing American innovation and public-private collaboration to address energy and environmental challenges.”
Young Kim
“Anybody who thinks we’re going to reach a carbon neutral world economy without nuclear energy has been smoking the devil’s lettuce. It’s not going to happen. And we know that.”
John Kennedy
“America’s energy independence is vital to the future success of our nation. I have long supported an all-of-the-above approach to energy development from energy sources that are both environmentally sound and economically feasible. This includes expanding our use of domestic oil, natural gas, solar, wind, and geothermal power capabilities, among others. All of these policies must be part of a comprehensive, market-based plan to make the United States energy secure.”
Richard Shelby
“NEPA reforms are important to building green energy infrastructure, resiliency, and the things that are important to [Democrats]. … There is a more efficient, better way to do it that doesn’t compromise the integrity of the environmental protection at all by streamlining the NEPA process.”
Kevin Cramer
“Many foresters, farmers, and ranchers in Mississippi and around the nation are good stewards of the land because it’s their livelihood. They also understand they can make voluntary contributions to conservation and environmental protection.”
Cindy-Hyde Smith
“Lowering greenhouse gases is important. Louisiana loses a football field of land every 100 minutes due to erosion and rising sea level. But the Green New Deal would actually increase global emissions by incentivizing manufacturing to move to high-emitting countries like China.”
Bill Cassidy
“Conservatives have real solutions for climate. Ones that are technologically realistic, economically feasible, and politically sustainable. Over the past decade, conservatives have institutionalized big, bold goals, anchored in clean energy breakthroughs as the best solution to solving the climate challenge.”
Rich Powell
“Climate change is an urgent challenge that merits significant policy action at every level of the federal government and private sector.”
Rich Powell
“This caucus also understands that climate change is a global issue and that overregulating America will do nothing to affect emissions abroad. Today 85% of greenhouse gas emissions are created outside of the United States. This means that U.S. energy and climate policy must foster innovation and commercialization pathways that work in Indiana as well as India.”
Heather Reams
“The climate is changing and to address it our country needs a commonsense approach that works by reducing energy prices, not energy choices; shrinking emissions, not our economy; and by exporting American innovation, not American jobs.”
Heather Reams
“There is nothing more conservative than the idea of an ounce of prevention versus a pound of cure; being grateful for the bounty that we’ve inherited and feeling that obligation to not consume it, to not waste it, to take advantage of it, but to grow it for future generations.”
Peter Meijer
“I care about making sure that we stem rising sea levels. I care about the fact that we need to work on global warming, that we need to reduce our carbon emissions. These are important things that frankly we are aligned with our business community on.”
Peter Meijer
“The legacy of Teddy Rosevelt, the legacy of the conservation ethos in the conservative movement, that’s always been there. One of the challenges is that for too long, we looked at the issue of climate and the issue of the environment as a zero-sum political messaging game. I’m proud that with this caucus, we’re not going to be bringing snowballs to the House floor, we’re bringing solutions. We’re not using this as a cheap talking point, we actually want to pursue principle-based, metric-based, fact-based approaches.”
Peter Meijer
“We believe in energy security, we believe in a clean environment. We want to protect the Earth, we want to protect the air, but mostly, we protect our communities while we do this in a responsible fashion.”
Kelly Armstrong
“We want to continue to… allow communities, allow industries, allow companies, and allow American workers to thrive on the world stage and continue to innovate and continue to bring technology forward to continue to lower our carbon emissions.”
Kelly Armstrong
“I think far too often people think that if we don’t have this massive, strict federal regulation then the climate and what these communities are doing is bad. I can tell you that this is not the case…we want clean air, we want clean water and we do it well.”
Kelly Armstrong
“We owe it to our children and our grandchildren to keep our planet healthy and the [Conservative] Climate Caucus aims to prove that we can do so while protecting our values, relying on the best available science, and empowering Americans to do what they do best: coming together to solve problems facing our communities. This caucus lays the groundwork for a climate agenda that limits the strong arm of the federal government, empowers the free market, and is rooted in the individual freedom that is guaranteed by the American Dream.”
Dan Newhouse
“As a group we understand that locally-led conservation efforts are far more effective than one-size-fits-all mandates from the federal government.”
Dan Newhouse
“Farmers and ranchers are leading local efforts to maintain our clean air, our clean water. Just down the road for our farms, researchers and scientists are on the cutting edge of clean energy research and grid storage technology.”
Dan Newhouse
“Conservatives care about our climate and conservatives care about our environment.”
Dan Newhouse
“If we did everything that the Green New Deal people wanted us to do, we wouldn’t move the needle at all for any responsible purpose. Innovation is what we need to work with and I think that’s the beauty of this Caucus; moving forward, with innovation, and still caring for our environment because we need that.”
Tim Walberg
“We need innovation that continues on. Never in the history of the United States have we gone backward. We’ve innovated forward. We can do that in energy.”
Tim Walberg
“We’re [reducing emissions] without regulations, without mandates, without causing our consumers to double or triple the cost of electricity, without sending our jobs overseas.”
Garret Graves
“Right now the United States is leading the world in reducing emissions. Right now we are the global leader and it’s not even close… We are doing this based upon America’s resources and American workers.”
Garret Graves
“The success of conservation policy must be measured by its outcomes — not by the number of, or stringency of, regulations. The focus must instead be on supporting local conservation efforts that use some of the most effective species recovery tools we have: private citizens and American industry.”
Dan Newhouse
“An all-of-the-above approach to energy production is essential to ensure that every American has access to affordable and reliable energy. Private sector ingenuity and good governance helped America become a net exporter of crude oil in 2020 for the first time. We have an ambitious goal of not only energy independence, but energy dominance.”
Kevin Hern
“Thanks to innovation and advancements in technology, and our efforts to put the right tax and regulatory framework in place, we have been able to dramatically increase energy production and improve environmental stewardship.”
John Hoeven
“I support an all-of-the-above approach to securing not just American energy independence, but American energy dominance. That includes alternative sources of energy—hydropower, wind, biomass, and solar—along with coal, oil, and natural gas.”
Steve Daines
“Clean water and economic prosperity are not mutually exclusive. Westerners want both, and that’s made possible by empowering communities and strengthening locally led conservation efforts – because the best stewards of our lands and waters are those that live closest, not out-of-state regulators.”
Steve Daines
“Consumer-driven, free-market competition provides a much better way to ensure Americans have access to reliable, affordable energy.”
Mike Lee
“I support an aggressive expansion of nuclear power to meet our nation’s future energy needs. It is safe, reliable and produces zero carbon dioxide. I also support expanding other clean sources of baseload power such as hydropower, geothermal, biomass, natural gas and clean coal; as well as further development into technologies that are not yet able to produce reliable and substantial quantities of clean power, such as solar and wind. I support expanded drilling for domestic oil to reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources especially in the immediate future while we develop these other sources of energy.”
James Risch
“Nuclear power is our nation’s largest source of carbon-free electricity. It’s critical to reliable electricity, resilient electricity, and affordable electric service.
John Barrasso
“Now more than ever, Washington must advance policies to preserve and expand the use of nuclear energy. Nuclear technology is fundamental to meeting our energy, environmental, and national security goals.”
John Barrasso
“[W]e should foster the innovative energy technologies that will reduce emissions while using all our resources including, hydropower, natural gas, nuclear.”
Cathy McMorris Rodgers
“Today, as a result of the shale revolution and the rise of natural gas, we are also leading the world in carbon emissions reductions, and we didn’t need a top-down Federal mandate, a price on carbon, or the Paris Agreement to get there either. We owe that to the free market and competition that rewards efficiency and innovation.”
Fred Upton
“I think one thing we can all agree to is the world needs to reduce its carbon emissions and I think we are on the same page here…Carbon capture technology must become commercially viable, the New Source Review program must be reformed, and the U.S. will need to develop a pipeline system to dispose of the captured carbon.”
David McKinley
[W]e need to talk about permitting reform. As we all know, it has become virtually impossible to build large-scale infrastructure projects in this country, especially pipeline and transmission that crosses state lines. Pouring federal dollars on the problem will not solve it. We need real reforms – strong lead agencies, timelines, and real certainty to encourage project developers to take the risk.”
Fred Upton
“I believe it is important to recognize that, over the past decade, the United States has become the world’s leading producer of oil and gas creating millions of good-paying American jobs and billions of dollars in tax revenues to States and local governments…We are now self-sufficient when it comes to natural gas – which has helped the United States reduce its greenhouse gas emissions more than any other nation. We have also become a world leading LNG exporter, pushing back on Russia and helping our trading partners reduce their emissions at the same time.”
Fred Upton
“The oldest and most experienced environmentalists often aren’t lauded for their efforts to steward our planet. Farmers have been bettering our planet since before it was cool, and they have been improving their methods and prioritizing sustainability for centuries through natural solutions, such as the deployment of no-till crops and voluntary participation in carbon markets.”
Glenn “G.T.” Thompson
“We’re no longer really debating whether or not climate change is real; we’re looking for the best ways to address it.”
Glenn “G.T.” Thompson
“If this argument is about taking carbon out of the air, then the fact is that it has been Republican solutions that have done that. Republicans have led in really the most meaningful solutions when it comes to the climate, and we do it in a way that helps build a robust rural economy and keeps our farmers and ranchers in business and farming.”
Glenn “G.T.” Thompson
“As we approach this issue of looking at climate, I’ve always subscribed to what I call principle-based leadership… the principles that guide our climate work are number one, first principle, you can’t have a healthier environment without a healthier economy, it just doesn’t work. Number two, whatever we do should truly be science-based, not myth, not emotion. And number three, let’s start with what we know works as a great starting point.”
Glenn “G.T.” Thompson
“Good, healthy forests and our farmlands are the largest carbon sinks in the world…these are incredible solutions that can only be improved upon with the practices that we have [such as] conservation programs [and] precision agriculture…it’s just a very exciting opportunity of what our farmers and ranchers, our foresters, and our forest landowners, what they do for the environment.”
Glenn “G.T.” Thompson
“What we need is thoughtful people on both the Right and the Left to come together and find solutions that we can agree on that meet the end goal, which is reducing pollutants in the air…and judge [solutions] based on how well they do that and let the best ideas survive.”
John Curtis
“If we stop all carbon from going into the air tomorrow…there’s still too much carbon in the air…So I think it’s a mistake to leave carbon sequestration out of the conversation if we really want to get to the levels of carbon that people are talking about.”
John Curtis
“If the goal is to reduce carbon in the air, we have something [nuclear energy] right in front of us that will dramatically change the equation.”
John Curtis
“Conservatives are branded as not caring about the planet. This is not true at all, we’ve just done a terrible job of talking about it and positioning ourselves. One of my passions and one of my missions is to let it be known that conservatives do care and that we have great ideas. Ideas that would help in a dramatic fashion to improve our environment and take care of the environment in a better way.”
John Curtis
“I think [that] nuclear energy needs to be one of the key parts of our national energy policy in achieving these laudable [climate] goals.”
Mike Crapo
“A balanced and responsible approach is the solution. This means developing more of America’s own energy resources, including wind, solar, clean coal, hydropower, biofuels, nuclear energy, as well as oil and natural gas, which will reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil and create thousands of jobs here at home.”
Richard Hudson
“We’re not against solar. We’re for solar. We’re not against wind. We’re not against hydro, we’re not against fossil fuels and we’re not against nuclear. We want to mesh it all together.”
Markwayne Mullin
“Coal is a vital resource for Wyoming and for our nation. Through technological advancements that our state has championed, we know we can continue to expand its use as a clean and reliable tool to power our economy and support families. I’m proud to co-sponsor this bipartisan legislation that will help support the coal industry by advancing the availability and use of carbon capture.”
Liz Cheney
“We understand the science [of climate change] and know the impacts are real because we are experiencing them firsthand.”
Charlie Baker
“The hydropower developed in the Pacific Northwest benefits every resident, family, and business in our region, and it’s an important component of the all-of-the-above energy strategy that will ensure the United States maintains energy independence and leadership on the global stage.”
Jaime Herrera Beutler
“We should break down regulatory barriers that hamper research and development and encourage investments into current and emerging technologies, including carbon capture, renewable hydropower, nuclear power, and energy storage. The United States is at the forefront of clean-energy efforts, and we must continue to leverage current capabilities. Nuclear power generation – which accounts for 20 percent of our nation’s power supply – is a great example of technology that is fueling the U.S., creating jobs, growing our economy, and reducing our environmental impact.”
Steve Womack
“We support strategies that take action against harmful emissions without disrupting the economy and burdening hard-working Americans with new taxes and mandates. By being good stewards of the environment and advancing an all-of-the-above energy plan, we can support productivity and sustainability for the future.”
Steve Womack
“I support an ‘all of the above’ energy strategy that embraces all of our country’s natural resources. The federal government should not be picking and choosing which energy sources get advantages. Fundamentally, Americans deserve the most affordable fuel available. Prioritizing the economic well-being of our fellow Americans leads to longer, more productive lives and increased prosperity.”
Tedd Budd
“Congressman Bilirakis believes that climate change is real and has been active in Congressional hearings focused on reducing carbon emissions, boosting renewable energy options, and modernizing the nation’s power generation. The Congressman wants clean air, clean water, and environmental protection; but as he explains below, those things do not have to be achieved at the expense of jobs, prosperity, and national security.”
Gus Bilirakis
“If the Left cared about ‘Climate Change’, they would:
-have plan to curb China’s CO2 emissions
-support nuclear energy & natural gas
-unleash power of markets to invest in R&D.”
Jim Banks
“Nuclear energy is a critical part of our nation’s energy matrix. It is a carbon-free, 24/7 baseload power supply that protects our national security and plays a critical role in furthering the American Energy Renaissance…As we continue to strive for more reliable clean power across the United States and work to maintain our energy leadership on a global scale, we must keep in mind the importance of updating the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) burdensome environmental review process required for nuclear reactor licensing. According to industry data, the cost of the environmental review process has tripled over the last ten years, and completion of the process averages about four years, creating a significant barrier to getting carbon-free nuclear power online.”
Jeff Duncan
“I am also a strong advocate for nuclear energy. In South Carolina, nuclear power is responsible for generating nearly 57 percent of our electricity. That is well above the national average of 20 percent. Nuclear energy is a critical part of our energy matrix, providing large amounts of carbon free electricity, which is imperative for the U.S. to make our internationally agreed upon emissions targets.”
Jeff Duncan
“Nuclear power accounts for 55% of zero-emission, baseload electricity nationwide. The American nuclear industry is working to introduce new reactors that are safer, smaller and more affordable than ever.”
Michael Burgess
“No question we can do a better job taking care of the environment, but big government, one-size-fits-all proposals that threaten our economy are not the answer. The Trillion Trees Act is sensible legislation that not only lowers atmospheric carbon by planting and conserving forests, but adds quality jobs while preserving the American economy. This is an achievable, reasonable first step toward doing our part in lowering carbon in the atmosphere.”
Tim Burchett
“The ‘everything but’ position [of the Democrats] is bad for our economy, and our planet. For instance, no technology has done more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions the past two decades than fracking and natural gas. Innovations in that sector were driven entirely by the private sector, not top-down government mandates.”
Tracey Mann
“Republicans have an ‘all of the above’ energy strategy that prioritizes American energy independence, embraces fossil fuels and renewable energy, and doesn’t allow Washington to pick winners and losers through massive subsidies.”
Ron Estes
“There is wide bipartisan agreement that a market-based transition toward cleaner, renewable forms of energy is good for our country and the environment. But we must also recognize that these energy technologies are still years, perhaps decades, away from providing energy at the scale necessary to provide constant, reliable power to communities. In the meantime, we must not turn our backs on the abundant supplies of natural resources that heat homes and power businesses from coast to coast.”
Dan Brouillette
“Only 3% of the nation’s 80,000 dams currently generate electricity. These existing dams in the United States could be equipped with turbines and generators to produce up to 12,000 megawatts of clean, baseload electricity. If we were simply to retrofit dams across the country, we could tap into a powerful energy resource that has little to no environmental impact. We should also be working together to develop next-generation nuclear power, carbon capture technology, and battery storage to unlock the power of renewable energy. These are just a few of the many long-term solutions that exist.”
Dan Newhouse
“To achieve energy independence, we must work to develop viable forms of renewable energy while also maximizing the development of the conventional energy resources we have at home. By developing a diverse domestic energy portfolio in this way, we can create jobs, reduce energy costs and grow our economy.”
Kay Granger
“There is more carbon now than before. Carbon is the issue. So how we move forward to address volatility in weather, environmental issues that are essential to us all, cleaner air, cleaner water. We have to build out our wind and solar, which we’re doing a good job of. And we have to move forward to a more sustainable economy.”
Jeff Fortenberry
Don Bacon
“Through a more efficient and less complex permitting process, we can more efficiently construct energy infrastructure, coastal restoration, and flood protection projects in Louisiana and across the country while still protecting our environment.”
Steve Scalise
“Hydropower is one of America’s top renewable energy sources and accounts for roughly 70% of our clean energy in Washington state. Building a clean energy future doesn’t happen without prioritizing the continued development of hydroelectric energy resources. The way we solve the climate crisis is through free-market technological innovation…”
Cathy McMorris Rodgers
“As we continue along the path towards energy independence, I favor an all-of-the-above approach to our energy needs. We must use all available resources to diversify our energy portfolio and support the American economy, while at the same time protecting our environment with reasonable regulations.”
Tom Reed
“Lack of management has allowed a critical load of dead fuel to build up in our forests, turning them into tinderboxes. We don’t have to wait for the world to fix climate change; we can act now to thin our forests where appropriate and reduce the risk of catastrophic fires.”
Dan Newhouse
“While investing in clean energy is an important piece of the puzzle, the wind isn’t always blowing and the sun isn’t always shining. We truly need an all-of-the-above energy strategy in order to keep the lights on at a price American families can afford.”
Markwayne Mullin
“We are stewards of the natural inheritance we have been given, and must value sustainability as a core conservative principle.”
Peter Meijer
“Solving for climate change can’t depend upon the world reaching an agreement on how much more we’re willing to pay for cleaner energy. That’s an argument with no end in sight— and we don’t want to keep fighting about it. Instead, we can work together to adopt policies that will make clean energy technologies for all fuels affordable — solar, wind, hydro and other renewables, as well as nuclear, carbon capture for fossil fuels, energy efficiency, storage, and other technologies that will make the grid more secure, resilient, and affordable. At the same time, we can establish rational, ambitious regulations to guide their use as they become increasingly affordable.”
David McKinley
“We have introduced a number of bills aimed at capturing, utilizing, and storing carbon, all based on the understanding that natural gas and other fossil energy sources are not the problem, emissions are. So instead of destroying entire industries and the jobs they provide, we should invest in technologies that reduce or eliminate these emissions, all the while growing American jobs.”
Kevin McCarthy
“Solar tech is one of the ways that I think we can improve our environment while also reducing energy costs.”
Brian Mast
“As a farmer who has seen the effects of climate change first-hand, I believe we should address global greenhouse gas emissions and support clean American energy…we should be focusing on developing the tools needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, like advanced nuclear energy, carbon capture, and greater energy storage capacity. Investing in innovation has proven to reduce emissions, lower energy costs, and produce exportable technologies that other countries can use to meet these same objectives.”
Frank Lucas
“Investing in rural communities through wind energy projects has a proven track record of success, and it’s important we encourage the production of clean and renewable energy sources.”
Darin LaHood
“The diversification of our energy sources, whether it be nuclear energy or renewable, is important to the United States and to our allies. With authoritarian regimes in Russia and China encroaching on the energy supply of our allies in Europe, it’s critical that we take a leading role in fostering opportunities that allow nuclear energy to be seen as an alternate energy source.”
Adam Kinzinger
“I support an ‘all of the above’ energy strategy that serves American economic and security interests. Coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar, hydropower, domestic oil, and biomass all may play a critical role in America’s energy future. The United States possesses a tremendous amount of natural resources, and we must take full advantage of all options to unlock America’s full potential.”
Morgan Griffith
“Most carbon emissions come from outside the United States, and a vital component of combatting climate change is the U.S. exporting clean energy resources and technology.”