Political Quotes

On the recordSeptember 18, 2018
as I rise for my 220th ``Time to Wake Up'' climate speech, there is abundant evidence that meaningful action on climate change in the United States is unlikely. We have a President who, against all the evidence, claims that climate change is a Chinese hoax. This is the same President who announced last year that he was pulling the United States out of the international Paris Agreement. This is the same President who installed the theatrically corrupt Scott Pruitt, who owed his entire political career to the fossil fuel industry, to lead, of all things, the Environmental Protection Agency. When Pruitt's endless string of scandals finally proved too much even for this epically swampy administration, President Trump then made a coal industry lobbyist the Acting EPA Administrator. The fundamentally rotten bargain at the heart of today's Trump politics is that his party is essentially bankrolled by the fossil fuel industry. This is why you see Republicans seeking to freeze voluntary fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars. If consumers pay more at the pump to fill up, fine--what matters is that the oil companies get to keep pumping. This is why the Republican Clean Power Plan doesn't really reduce carbon emissions. In fact, the EPA's own numbers show that the replacement plan will result in poorer health for Americans, including 1,400 additional deaths a year, but what matters is that the coal companies sell coal.…
Said by
Sheldon Whitehouse
Democratic · Rhode Island
Source
govinfo.gov
Sep 18, 2018

Share

More from Sheldon Whitehouse

Aug 4, 2026

Voting for this guy today gives their blessing to the screw-up, the botched release that even Pam Bondi pointed at Blanche as responsible for.

rollcall.com
Aug 18, 2026

After discussions with our colleagues, we have decided to reopen negotiations on permitting reform. We are hopeful that recent developments are indicative of a positive direction from the Trump administration.

dailycaller.com
Jul 16, 2026

Wind, solar, and battery power, they're not raising their prices.

npr.org
Jul 6, 2026

We urge you to reject any efforts by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to compensate January 6 rioters for their crimes and to commit to vigorously defending American taxpayers.

padilla.senate.gov

Other voices in this conversation