Executive Session
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Thank you, Mr. President.
First, I thank Senator Sanders of Vermont, Senator Markey of Massachusetts, and Senator Heinrich of New Mexico for their remarks. I look forward to the remarks of Senator Inhofe of Oklahoma.
Viewers may wonder what we are doing here. As some will recall, several weeks ago a number of Democratic Senators--I think we ended up being 31 in total--participated in an all-night event to raise the awareness of and the discussion of climate change in this body. At that time only one of our Republican colleagues appeared to join the discussion, and that was the distinguished Senator from Oklahoma, who is here again this evening.
We heard some rumblings that some of our colleagues didn't feel they were included or wished they would have had the opportunity to participate. So taking them up on that offer, a number of us sent a letter on May 30 that says, in part:
Dear Colleague ..... We would welcome an opportunity to engage with our Republican colleagues in a discussion of how to address the problems of climate change. Indeed, we think our Republican colleagues could have a lot to offer if they wished to join us in exploring solutions.
Republican colleagues have co-authored bipartisan climate legislation, voted for the comprehensive Waxman/Markey climate legislation in the House, spoken out in favor of a carbon fee, and campaigned for national office on climate action. Republican senators represent states with great coastal cities inundated by rising tides, states with farmlands swept by unprecedented floods and droughts, states with forests lost to encroaching pine beetles and wildfires unprecedented in season and intensity, states with disappearing glaciers and reduced snowpack, and states with dying coral reefs and shifting habitats and fisheries. Republican senators represent home-state corporations with international brand names, corporations that urge action on climate. Republican senators represent great universities that contribute to the scientific understanding of climate change and how human activities are changing it. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss climate change and how to respond to it with Republican senators.
I ask unanimous consent the letter be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
U.S. SENATE,
Washington, DC, May 30, 2014.
DEAR COLLEAGUE, As you may know, thirty-one of us recently took to the floor of the Senate for a ``climate all-nighter'' to express our concern over Congress's inaction on carbon pollution. We have heard some feedback expressing concerns that Republican colleagues were not invited to join in. We would welcome an opportunity to engage with our Republican colleagues in a discussion of how to address the problems of climate change. Indeed, we think our Republican colleagues could have a lot to offer if they wish to join us in exploring solutions.
Republican colleagues have co-authored bipartisan climate legislation, voted for the comprehensive Waxman/Markey climate legislation in the House, spoken out in favor of a carbon fee, and campaigned for national office on climate action. Republican senators represent states with great coastal cities inundated by rising tides, states with farmlands swept by unprecedented floods and droughts, states with forests lost to encroaching pine beetles and wildfires unprecedented in season and intensity, states with disappearing glaciers and reduced snowpack, and states with dying coral reefs and shifting habitats and fisheries. Republican senators represent home-state corporations with international brand names, corporations that urge action on climate. Republican senators represent great universities that contribute to the scientific understanding of climate change and how human activities are changing it. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss climate change and how to respond to it with Republican senators.
For any colleague who felt left out of our climate all-nighter we invite you to come to the floor. We've requested from leadership that time after votes on June 9th be reserved to engage in a robust exchange of views.
We earnestly believe that the stakes of failing to exercise American leadership and solve this problem are very high, with ramifications for our health and safety, our economic well-being, our food and water supplies, and our national security and standing. We hope you will join us in a sincere discussion.
Sincerely,
Sheldon Whitehouse,
Barbara Boxer,
Bernard Sanders,
Jeff Merkley,
Edward J. Markey,
U.S. Senators.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. That sets the frame for what we are doing. We have had four Democratic Senators speak. We will be joined, I believe, by Chairman Boxer and perhaps others later on in the evening.
Pursuant to the unanimous consent we have agreed to, I yield to the Senator from Oklahoma for his remarks and will seek recognition pursuant to the unanimous consent at the conclusion of his remarks.
Pursuant to that understanding, I yield the floor.
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