On the recordMarch 18, 2015
Mr. President, I don't normally come to the floor and address a question that was asked rhetorically on the floor the night before, but I am compelled to do so today. There were two instances that happened in the last week where my name and the Coca-Cola name came up, and I thought I should set the record straight. This weekend, in an op-ed published in USA TODAY, the Democratic leader, Harry Reid, and Sheldon Whitehouse, the Senator from Rhode Island, made the following statement: Republicans in Congress who represent great corporations headquartered in their states ignore those corporations-- Walmart in Arkansas, Coca-Cola in Georgia, VF Corporation in North Carolina--when they explain the business case for addressing climate change and are already reducing their own pollution. Republicans in Congress who root boisterously for their state university sports teams ignore the warnings of scientists and researchers at those very universities on climate change. Then last night on the floor of the Senate, in his 93rd speech on global warming, Senator Whitehouse made the following statement and asked this rhetorical question: ``I don't know whether Coca-Cola has ever spoken about climate change to Senator Isakson . . . from Coca- Cola's home State of Georgia.'' So I came to answer that rhetorical question and to answer the reference that was made in the editorial by Senator Reid and Senator Whitehouse. This is a picture of me and Senator Coons in Ghana, Africa. It is 5 years old.…





