Special Report
15 Politicians Who Have Disputed the Severity of Climate Change
Published:
Driven by the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, global carbon dioxide emissions have climbed by 66.5% over the last three decades. Greenhouse gasses, like carbon dioxide, trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere – and as greenhouse gas emissions have climbed, so have temperatures. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the last seven years have been the warmest on record.
Should global temperatures continue to rise, the consequences could be catastrophic, as existing patterns such as sea level rise, heat waves, flooding, drought, and wildfires, will only likely intensify. While there is broad consensus in the scientific community that human activity – particularly the burning of fossil fuels – are largely to blame for climate change, such consensus cannot be found among the political leadership in the United States. (Here is a look at the worst states driving the climate crisis.)
Many elected officials in the highest levels of government have taken no action beyond questioning or outright denying the scientific evidence of human-made climate change.
According to a recent report from the public policy research and advocacy group, Center for American Progress, there are 139 sitting members of the U.S. Congress who have cast doubt on the existence of human-induced climate change or minimized the need to act on it. Many of these Congress members have also received significant campaign contributions from fossil fuel companies with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed the CAP report Climate Deniers in the 117th Congress to identify the sitting members of the U.S. House and Senate who have called climate change into question or downplayed the urgency of the problem. We listed each of the 16 Congress members listed in the report who have received over $1 million in political contributions from the oil and gas industry.
Combating climate change will require a shift to clean energy and an overhaul of the U.S. energy sector. While campaign contributions from fossil fuel companies do not necessarily buy political influence, they do call into question the potential for a conflict of interests – especially as a failure in leadership has left the United States trailing behind dozens of other developed countries in the fight against climate change.
Many of the politicians on this list represent states and districts that have been most impacted by weather events linked to climate change. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, for example, ranks on this list and has represented the state of Texas since 2013. Over his nearly nine years in the U.S. Senate, Texas has suffered through 74 climate-related disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage. Those disasters – which include severe storms, droughts, floods, and wildfires – racked up a total of at least $200 billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (Here is a look at the worst cities to live in as climate change gets worse.)
Click here to see 15 politicians who have disputed the severity of climate change.
Click here to read our detailed methodology.
15. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma’s 2nd District
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $1.03 million
> Current term ends: 2023 (running for U.S. Senate in 2022)
> Served in the U.S. House since: 2013
“I haven’t seen the reports that would get me to believe that anything’s different [with regards to climate change].” – Sierra Club, 8/9/2013
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14. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $1.07 million
> Current term ends: 2023 (not running for reelection)
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 2011
“The extent to which that has been caused by human activity I think is not as clear.” – Business Insider, 4/29/2019
24/7 Wall St.
13. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $1.20 million
> Current term ends: 2027
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 2015
“‘To suggest that it’s human-caused is not a sound scientific conclusion,’ he said. ‘There is a human component, here, but I think it’s important to recognize there are also natural trends, given the climate is always changing, it’s never static, it’s always increasing or decreasing.'” – Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 10/25/2019
12. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $1.21 million
> Current term ends: 2023 (not running for reelection)
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 2011
“There isn’t any real science to say we are altering the climate path of the earth.” – The Washington Post, 11/3/2010
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11. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $1.25 million
> Current term ends: 2025
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 2019
“For me, it doesn’t matter. … That is why I’m trying … to find a middle ground.” – C-SPAN, 3/19/2017
10. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $1.27 million
> Current term ends: 2025
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 2007
“The climate is constantly changing. The role human activity plays is not known.” – The Hill, 6/5/2014
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9. Sen. John Neely Kennedy, R-Louisiana
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $1.29 million
> Current term ends: 2023
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 2017
“And Sen. John Neely Kennedy, who is expected to announce Monday whether he will run for Louisiana governor, told reporters last week that while the Earth may be getting hotter, ‘I’ve seen many persuasive arguments that it’s just a continuation of the warming up from the Little Ice Age.'” – The Seattle Times, 12/2/18
8. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $1.55 million
> Current term ends: 2023
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 2011
“Sure the climate is changing, and one of the reasons is because the climate has always been changing. There has never been a time when the climate was not changing.” – Vice, 4/25/2017
7. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $1.67 million
> Current term ends: 2027
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 2015
“Global temperatures have not risen in 15 years.” – The Ledger, 10/24/2014
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6. Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $1.71 million
> Current term ends: 2023
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 2015
“This whole global warming myth will be exposed as what it really isâa way of control more than anything else.” – The Climate Change Debate, 2020
5. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana’s 1st District
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $1.99 million
> Current term ends: 2023
> Served in the U.S. House since: 2008
When asked by an interviewer whether he believes in the science behind man-made climate change, Rep. Scalise responded, “We do know that the Earth’s temperature changes. It goes up and down. … In the 1970s, they said we were entering a new cooling period.” – CBS This Morning, YouTube, 6/14/2019
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4. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas’ 8th District
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $2.09 million
> Current term ends: 2023 (not running for reelection)
> Served in the U.S. House since: 1997
“I wonder if proponents of ‘climate change’ consider a NASA climatologist worth listening to.” – Facebook, 1/23/2014
3. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $2.32 million
> Current term ends: 2023 (not running for reelection)
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 1994
“You can’t argue with climate change because it’s always been changing.” – Stillwater News Press, 10/18/2018
2. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $2.87 million
> Current term ends: 2027
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 1985
“What I have said repeatedly is I’m not a scientist. … the United States doing this by itself is going to have zero impact.” – Roll Call, 10/8/2014
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1. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas
> Total campaign contributions from oil & gas industry: $4.21 million
> Current term ends: 2025
> Served in the U.S. Senate since: 2013
“The climate has been changing from the dawn of time. The climate will change as long as we have a planet Earth.” – NPR, 12/27/2018
Methodology
To identify the climate deniers in the 117th congress, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the Center for American Progress Action Fund’s analysis of the 117th Congress from March 20, 2021. The quote reference, which offers an example of each politician’s view of climate change, is also from the report.
Data on oil and gas industry donations for each candidate came from government transparency nonprofit Open Secrets. Amounts are based on contributions from PACs and individuals giving $200 or more. The donations listed cover each legislator’s career in national elected office through March 22, 2021.
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