CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with John Curtis
Interview
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REP. JOHN CURTIS (R-UT): Hello, Pamela. Great to be with you.
BROWN: So in our previous segment, you heard Paul talk about, you know, the more than 30 million people under an excessive heat wave on the West Coast, all-time records being hit. Do you view that as an extension of climate change and a warning for what's to come if something more isn't done?
CURTIS: You know, I'm not a scientist. I think we have to be a little careful because sometimes one-time events feel like climate change. You've probably heard my colleagues say look at how cold it is. That means there can be no climate change. So I think we want to look more at trends, long-term trends to really understand what's going on with the planet.
BROWN: I just want to be clear that the 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 2005. Seven of those have occurred just since 2014 according to NOAA. That seems to be a pretty big trend, not a one-time event.
CURTIS: Sure. And that's -- yes, that's exactly what I mean as opposed to the temperatures like today. That's -- it's hard to say, right, if the temperatures today are tied into that. But clearly there's a trend. I don't argue you on that at all.
BROWN: So, Congressman Curtis, many Republicans, as you well know, including former president Trump, have either denied or downplayed human's role in climate change. It has become part of the GOP's identity. Let's listen to Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.
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SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): I don't know about you guys, but I think climate change is, as Lord Monckton said -- OK? And by the way it is.
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BROWN: So Senator Johnson as we know went on to question why the U.S. is focused on the climate crisis at all or climate change, however you want to put it. How big of a hill are you climbing to sway Republican skepticism on this issue?
CURTIS: Well, I'll tell you, Pamela. What's been really exciting to me is the voices like you just played, I think are actually in the minority. We've just been too silent, the rest of us. You know, we had 65 members of the House join our caucus in just a week's time. That's a third of all Republican members of Congress joined this caucus. And I think one of the things we need to do is start speaking up and being the voice rather than some of these isolated voices that don't represent many of us.
BROWN: Right. Because it seems like in a way climate change has been weaponized. Right? It has often been a Republican rallying cry on the campaign trail, even at friendly gatherings like what we saw there with Senator Johnson. But do you really think that the party can be swayed, that this should be not only an issue to be looking at, but a top issue?
CURTIS: Well, let me just say, this is where we stop and say, wait a minute. Republicans, historically, have been very good on the environment. If you go back in time, it was Richard Nixon who put together the EPA. Teddy Roosevelt, the Forest Service. And we frequently I think lose sight of our roots in that. And I think we as Republicans should be proud of our past, speak up and acknowledge, look, we've been a little bit silent.
We've not been at the table in this debate for the last few years and that's allowed us to be branded as not caring about the earth.
BROWN: Right. Yes. Certainly. I mean, you talk about the history. You're right. That was then. The Republican Party now or in the past few years, before, different. Right? But you're trying to change that. Why is it so important for you to come out now and be a leader on this effort to combat climate change?
CURTIS: Well, that's a really good question. I can just tell you personally, I feel a great responsibility to lead on this. I represent a beautiful district. One of the most beautiful districts, I think, in the country. I represent the youngest district in the country. And I don't know about my colleagues but I'll tell you what, I hear about this everywhere I go. It's an important issue.
And as Republicans, we have been really good at saying what we don't like. But there's a host of ideas out there that we can embrace that are very, very good for the environment and I actually think better than the set of ideas currently on the table.
BROWN: Right. And, you know, I was reading some of the past comments or what you've said about this and you've said sometimes, though, although I think the average age in your district is 26 so I imagine most of the young people are very into this issue. But maybe some of your older constituents or others say, oh, my gosh, you're talking about climate change, and they equate that with some of the left policies, the --
CURTIS: Yes.
BROWN: The Green New Deal and so forth. What have you been hearing from people in the party?
CURTIS: So I think it's important to point out that the word climate is difficult for Republicans. And for your viewers to understand that, I would equate it to the word the wall. Right? The wall is just jampacked full of emotion. And if I required somebody to agree that the wall was good before we had a meaningful conversation about immigration, that would be a stop, right, for a lot of meaningful conversations.
And the word climate is the same thing to a lot of Republicans. It's tied into the Green New Deal or extreme ideas. And I think so when I talk about it with my constituents, I just go back to the real fundamental basics.
[18:45:04]
Less pollution is better than more pollution. Right? We want to be good stewards over this earth. We have a responsibility to take care of it. And even in a district that's one of the most conservative in the country's that resonates in -- I just say, Utahans are the best environmentalists in the world. They just don't like to identify as environmentalists.
BROWN: So another emerging piece -- center piece of the GOP, as you well know, has been the big lie that the election was stolen from President Trump. You took a political risk by dismissing that. You voted to certify the results.
CURTIS: Yes.
BROWN: Are you worried that your party is staking so much on something that is provably false?
CURTIS: You know, I think we have a choice as Republicans. It was just a little over four years ago when I think Democrats had the same choice. A lot of Democrats were caught, you know, into this Russian involvement and spending too much time on it and so focused on it that they weren't looking forward and putting forward their own legislation. I think Republicans have the same choice. We can look back or we can look forward. And if we don't look forward, I think it's going to be a mistake for us.
BROWN: I want to ask you about COVID, Congressman. There are 12 Utah counties listed as high transmission, and 11 of those 12 counties, less than 60 percent of the adult population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Today at CPAC, conservatives applauded the White House falling short of its vaccination goal. Does it worry you that a public health shortfall becomes an applause line?
CURTIS: Well, it's not something I would applaud. And let me just say, I want to take this opportunity to say look, I had the vaccine early. It's important. I know dear friends who did not get the vaccine and are actually hospitalized because of it. I lost a business partner's brother who didn't get vaccinated.
This is serious, right? And so it's not something that we should take lightly. And I think as elected leaders, we have a responsibility to be out front, encouraging people to get vaccinated and be very, very careful with where they get their information and what information they are believing.
BROWN: Congressman John Curtis, thank you for lending your voice to this important discussion and sharing your views. You're welcome back any time. We appreciate your time.
CURTIS: Thanks, Pamela.
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