Political Quotes

“Madam President, on other judicial business, today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard oral argument in West Virginia v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is the case that will determine the fate of the EPA's Clean Power Plan. As that court considers our national plan to reduce carbon pollution from powerplants, which is our largest source of carbon emissions, I rise now for the 148th time to urge us all to wake up to the threats of climate change. In the runup to today's argument, Leader Reid, Senator Boxer, Senator Markey, and I released a report entitled ``The Brief No One Filed'' highlighting who is behind the legal challenge to the President's Clean Power Plan. Our report, which is structured as an amicus brief, although not filed with the court, shows how State officials, trade associations, front groups, and industry-funded scientists in the case are connected to the fossil fuel industry. In short, the court of appeals has been barraged with briefs by amici curiae and parties who are funded by oil, gas, and coal interests. I hope the court considers the appalling conflict of interest these briefs present when it considers this case. Let's begin with why there is such a big effort by the fossil fuel industry to launch its proxies in this case. A working paper by the International Monetary Fund puts the effective subsidy of the fossil fuel industry in this country at nearly $700 billion per year.…”