In the wake of devastating floods in central Texas resulting in the loss of 132 lives, including 36 children, and with at least 97 individuals still missing, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) issued a stern call to action on the Senate floor. He urged immediate regulation of fossil fuel companies to prevent future climate-related disasters.
“It is entirely possible that history will show that the three most consequential disasters for America in our lifetimes were the capture of the Supreme Court by right-wing billionaires, the influx into our elections of floods of corrupting special-interest dark money, and the success of the fossil fuel climate-denial operation at blockading solutions to the fossil fuel emissions crisis,” Whitehouse declared on July 9.
Marking his 300th warning since he first spoke out in 2012 against President Barack Obama’s climate policies, Whitehouse compiled a video of his past speeches to highlight his persistent efforts. “I’m not sure whether this is a triumph of persistence or an exposition of failure,” he remarked, reflecting on the lack of progress.
Whitehouse criticized the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling, which allowed unlimited political spending, suggesting it enabled the fossil fuel industry to gain significant influence over the Republican Party, stifling climate regulation efforts. He emphasized the need for campaign finance reform as part of addressing the climate crisis.
He pointed to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, as an example of such influence. This legislation, Whitehouse argued, undermines clean energy investments initiated by the Biden administration, including tax incentives for solar energy and electric vehicle production.
“Just last week, Republicans passed Trump’s megabill, a many-headed hydra turning the power of government to help fossil fuel billionaires throttle their clean energy competition,” Whitehouse stated. He warned that this move could result in job losses, increased reliance on foreign energy, rising consumer costs, and heightened carbon emissions.
Whitehouse underscored that the ultimate aim is to benefit fossil fuel donors by boosting the sales of oil, natural gas, gasoline, and diesel. His concerns are deeply personal, as Rhode Island, his home state, faces significant risks from sea-level rise and severe weather, affecting over 7,000 properties and driving up insurance costs.
He proposed a “polluter pays” policy, holding fossil fuel companies financially accountable for environmental damages and public health impacts. “Polluter pays is not just the right thing to do morally and economically and environmentally,” Whitehouse asserted, “it’s our last lifeboat.”
Concluding his address, Whitehouse called on the Democratic Party to adopt a more confrontational stance on climate change, criticizing past administrations for being too passive. “Recent Democratic administrations have been conflict-averse,” he said, likening the situation to “lambs versus wolves—and the wolf doesn’t much fear the bite of the lamb.”
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