Today, Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) became the latest climate denier to join the Climate Solutions Caucus, promoting “an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy” that includes fracking. Upton, a well-oiled favorite of the Koch brothers, has a long record of abusing his leadership positions on the House Energy Committee to deny the existence of climate change, promote Arctic drilling, and to vote against light bulb efficiency regulations that he originally supported. He even co-sponsored legislation with Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating climate pollution.
In response, Climate Hawks Vote cofounder RL Miller states: “The Climate Peacock Caucus is increasingly a bad joke. Fred Upton meets all the criteria needed for membership in the Climate Peacock Caucus, Republican side. He’s a vulnerable Republican facing credible climate-hawk challengers and thus desperate for political cover; he has a pulse; and he’s arguably human. He’ll fit in well with climate peacocks like Matt ‘Terminate the EPA’ Gaetz and Carlos ‘Drill the Arctic, Not Florida’ Curbelo.”
Miller adds: “The only thing we want to do with Fred Upton is this: vote him out.”
In 2014 Climate Hawks Vote endorsed Fred Upton’s Democratic challenger, climate hawk Paul Clements.
