OFFS!! House Conservative Climate Caucus Sees Possible Trump Return As Net Positive
Former President Donald Trump’s positions on climate change — including declaring it a “hoax” — aren’t deterring members of his party from pressing ahead with affirmatively endorsing policies to stop global warming. Republicans have for years been divided over whether their party should even address climate change. Now the GOP is about to nominate a presidential candidate openly hostile to the science. A Trump victory would likely strengthen the hand of party members who only want to attack Democrats on climate — not develop their own policies. Still, Republicans advocating for action say they’ll stay in the fight, with some saying Trump may actually be a net positive.
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“We’re not dependent on a standard-bearer outside of the House,” said Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), the chair and founder of the 82-member House Conservative Climate Caucus who is now running for Senate. “I don’t think it’s a surprise to anybody that charting the course as a Republican to talk about climate has never been easy,” he continued, “and so if there are headwinds, we’ll keep pushing forward.” Trump could do more than just create headwinds, however. The likely Republican nominee for president in 2024 has shown no signs of moving away from his denial of climate change science and his rejection of major action to reduce emissions.
He pronounced, as recently as December, that “the only global warming we should be worrying about … is nuclear warming” — a reference to the threat of an “arms race” with foreign adversaries. He has previously called climate change a “make-believe problem” and “nonexistent.” Trump has repeatedly called for the elimination of the clean energy tax credits contained in the Inflation Reduction Act that are contributing to major green job booms around the country, including in Republican-held districts. He also promised at an event this fall to slash incentives around electric vehicle production specifically, saying, “You can be loyal to American labor, or you can be loyal to the environmental lunatics.”
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McCarthy, who would go on to be speaker before his ouster in October, is credited with having created an opening for his party to move away from climate science denialism. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), whom McCarthy put in charge of that 2022 task force, said new Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) won’t be following that example. “I think that you’ve lost an open-minded leader on the Republican side in terms of McCarthy,” he said. “I don’t think you’re going to have a Mike Johnson or a [Majority Whip Tom] Emmer or a [Majority Leader Steve] Scalise pick up on the baton on that one and say, ‘Oh, we’re going to lead on that one.'” Graves added it would be “a huge mistake for Republicans to forgo, give up or cave on this fight, because the data and the science on this issue is so much on our side, and I think it’s a battle we should actually lean into.”
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https://www.eenews.net/articles/how-climate-republicans-see-trumps-rise/
Ed. - And there it is, the GQP climate platform: A. Try and avoid being total raving lunatic assholes on the topic. B. Work on your "messaging". C. Plant trees or something. D. Talk about how important it is to "engage" or "lean in" on the issue. E. "Innovation!"
Oh, bonus graph that I just had to add:
Johnson did not respond to a request for comment about whether he would be putting together a similar plank ahead of the 2024 elections. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), chair of the House Natural Resources Committee and a trained forester, said, “There’s nothing formal in the works that I’m aware of.” But he added, “It’s important we get our message out about what real conservation is.” Westerman also told E&E News he wasn’t familiar with what Trump has said on the subject. Graves, when asked whether Trump’s climate talking points complicate the GOP’s message, asserted that although the former president “has said things against climate,” his environmental policies are solid.
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