'Time to wake up' to climate cataclysm
In 300th climate speech, Sen. Whitehouse slams Dems for being too polite
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse delivered his 300th "Time to Wake Up" climate speech on the Senate floor Wednesday evening, marking a milestone in his 13-year campaign to address climate change while sharply criticizing his own party's approach to the issue. Like the others, it received little attention from the national press.
The Rhode Island Democrat has been increasingly vocal about what he sees as the Democratic Party's failure to effectively counter the fossil fuel industry's influence on climate policy. In an interview with The Guardian, Whitehouse called Democrats "too cautious and polite" and urged them to more aggressively denounce what he termed the industry's "huge denial operation."
"The fossil fuel industry has run the biggest and most malevolent propaganda operation the country has ever seen," Whitehouse said. He argued that the industry is defending a $700 billion annual subsidy by avoiding charges for health and environmental damages caused by burning fossil fuels.
Citizens United ruling let it happen
Whitehouse began his climate speeches in 2012 during Barack Obama's first term, initially focusing on climate science and environmental impacts. Over time, his approach has shifted toward directly confronting fossil fuel industry lobbying efforts, which he describes as "downright evil."
The senator traces the Republican Party's retreat from climate action to the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision, which removed limits on campaign spending. Before that ruling, some GOP senators sponsored climate legislation, and John McCain advocated for climate action during his 2008 presidential campaign.
"Citizens United told the fossil fuel industry: 'The door's wide open – spend any money you want in our elections,'" Whitehouse said. He claims the industry promised Republicans "unlimited amounts of money" in exchange for abandoning bipartisan climate efforts, noting that no serious bipartisan climate measure has emerged in the Senate since 2010.
Despite widespread public support for climate action, Whitehouse argues that Democrats have failed to capitalize on this advantage. He cited polling showing 74 percent of Americans want stronger government action on climate change, yet said his party gets trapped in what he calls a "stupid doom loop" where pollsters claim climate isn't a top voter priority.
"If you actually go ask voters and engage on the issue, it explodes in enthusiasm," Whitehouse said. "It has huge numbers when you bother to engage, and we just haven't."
The senator also highlighted economic risks that traditional Republican constituencies should care about. He referenced Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's February testimony warning that extreme weather could make entire regions unmortgageable within 10-15 years as insurance becomes unaffordable or unavailable.
Dark money needs to be exposed
Whitehouse believes Democrats can gain political advantage by becoming "more vocal and aggressive" about dark money in politics, noting that Americans "hate dark money with a passion" regardless of whether they live in districts that supported Trump or Biden.
Looking ahead, the senator expressed optimism that climate denial won't prevail indefinitely. He predicts that as climate impacts affect people's homes and finances more directly, public motivation will increase dramatically.
"Once this comes home to roost in people's homes, in their family finances, in really harmful ways, that will be motivating in a way that we haven't seen before," Whitehouse said. "And if we're effective at communicating what a massive fraud has been pulled on the American public by the fossil fuel industry denial groups, then I think that's a powerful combination."
The American Petroleum Institute, the industry's main trade association, states on its website that it and its members "commit to delivering solutions that reduce the risks of climate change while meeting society's growing energy needs."