A total of 123 members of the House and Senate deny the scientific consensus that climate change is occurring as a result of human activity, according to an analysis by the liberal Center for American Progress.
On a new reportFirst shared with The Hill, which analyzed public statements made by lawmakers, the think tank determined that these climate deniers are all Republicans and include prominent members of House leadership.
It defined climate deniers as lawmakers who claim any of the following: climate change is not real, it is not primarily caused by humans, the science is not settled on climate change, extreme weather is not caused by climate change, or that climate change is actually beneficial.
The report does not consider that legislators who recognize that climate change is real but who oppose climate action are deniers.
While the 123 members identified in the report constitute a significant contingent, they also represent a steady decline over the past few years, down from 180 in the 115th Congress. The last Congress had 139 climate deniers.
However, Trevor Higgins, senior vice president of energy and environment at the Center for American Progress, said it is still “concerning that there are 123 members of Congress who still… question the validity of the scientific consensus that our burning of fuels fossils are causing the planet to heat up.”
“It’s also troubling because it’s so obvious what the facts are, and to see so many members of Congress pretend that the science isn’t settled just reveals a willingness to disregard the truth,” Higgins said.
Several of the members identified in the report hold key positions in Republican leadership or on committees.
The Center identified both House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) as among the deniers.
Their analysis also listed members who hold key positions with influence over climate and environmental policy, such as House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), as well as Reps. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) and Senator John Kennedy (R-La.), who are all top Republicans on the subcommittees in charge of funding the EPA and the Department of the Interior or the Department of Energy.
Spokespeople for those lawmakers did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
The report also found that lawmakers who deny climate science have collectively received $52 million in lifetime campaign donations from the fossil fuel industry.
Of the 123 senators and congressmen identified, 90 also denied the results of the 2020 election, the report concluded.
However, Higgins noted that just because a lawmaker recognizes climate science does not necessarily mean that leads them to support climate action.
“In fact, there are several members of Congress who now say they are willing to accept scientific findings but still oppose climate action,” he said.
Human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, is driving climate change, which causes more frequent and intense storms.
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