On the recordMarch 10, 2014
Madam President, I have been on this floor since early this evening and it is very clear that deniers are standing with 3 percent of the scientists while we Democrats who are here tonight calling for action are standing with 97 percent of the scientists. As I mentioned before, every time the Republicans call a so-called expert to the Committee on Environment and Public Works, I track their path and they seem to be tied to the oil industry or to major polluters. That is just a fact. I am going to talk a little bit later about what has happened and why this suddenly has become a bitter partisan fight. It never used to be. It never used to be, but it is and it is wrong. No one party can put together the votes needed. We have to share responsibility and that is critical. People have said to me, the press: What is the point of this all-nighter? I said, very simply: The Senate Climate Action Task Force, which has membership of getting toward 30 percent of the Senate, we want to wake up the Congress to the fact that time is running out. We have to act now. We have to do everything we can legislatively in every way. The good news--and there is some good news which has nothing to do with the Senate. It is all bad news for the Senate, frankly. But the good news is that we have a President who gets this and who is moving forward with a climate action plan. I am sorry to say every step he takes we have people trying to repeal what he is doing.…





