(L-R) Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Senate climate caucus welcomes 4 new members
By Steve Valk
The bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus founded by Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) has added four new members, an indication of the growing desire for cross-party collaboration to address climate change.
The new members (shown above) are Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).
Caucus co-chair Coons said in a press release, “We look forward to continuing the discussion on bipartisan solutions and engaging with leaders from the business community, state and local governments, workers, and advocates across the country who are identifying meaningful ways to address climate change and strengthen American competitiveness.”
Republican co-chair Braun added, “We have a diverse group of Senators who have joined the Climate Solutions Caucus, which is important because Congress cannot make significant progress on climate issues until we can convince all Americans that climate policy can make a meaningful difference without harming their pocketbooks.”
On Twitter, Sen. Baldwin said:
Climate change is a real, immediate & growing threat to national security, public health and our economy. I’m hopeful this bipartisan caucus will work together on real solutions because the longer we fail to act, the more costly climate change will be. https://t.co/N8Qzsogy50
— Sen. Tammy Baldwin (@SenatorBaldwin) February 6, 2020
Sen. Rubio tweeted a statement from his press release: “Changes in our climate, such as the rise of sea levels, are measurable facts. Many communities in Florida are already dealing with the consequences of these changes and will have to adapt to and mitigate against their impact for decades to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues to find real and responsible solutions in a bipartisan way.”
Citizens’ Climate Lobby played a key role in the formation of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus in the U.S. House back in 2016. The organization sees the formation and growth of the Senate caucus as another sign that the partisan divide on climate change is diminishing, improving prospects for national policies to reduce the threat of climate change. CCL thanked the new members in a tweet last week.
“All of these Senators are seeing the impacts of climate change as a major issue for their own states, and for the country,” said CCL Executive Director Mark Reynolds. “Because of this, climate change presents the best opportunity for the Senate to function as it is intended — working to address the needs of the United States as a whole.”
