Whitehouse, Jeffries, Pelosi Denounce Trump Administration’s Climate Retreat as Costs Surge for American Families

Leaders sound the alarm as the fossil-fuel-backed Trump Administration cedes global leadership on climate action, threatening Americans’ health, safety, and economic security

Washington, D.C. – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) held a press conference condemning the Trump Administration’s abandonment of climate action and efforts to undermine U.S. participation in the U.N.’s 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. Ranking Member Whitehouse was the only U.S. federal official present at COP30—the first time in the 30-year history of these U.N. climate negotiations that the United States failed to send an official delegation. 

As electricity costs surge because Republicans are suppressing clean power, and home insurance premiums balloon because Republicans refuse to address climate risks, the corrupt Trump Administration continues to label climate change a “hoax” and has abdicated U.S. leadership on climate—even as a majority of Americans support action on climate change.

“Globally, we are seeing signs of the great climate insurance collapse. It’s been warned of in the United States now by the Federal Reserve, by Aon insurance, and by the former chief economist of Freddie Mac. Climate risk makes insurance unmanageable, which makes mortgages unavailable, which makes property values fall, which leads to a 2008-style recession,” said Ranking Member Whitehouse. “That’s the cascade, and we wouldn’t be where we are if the fossil fuel industry had not run a long and fraudulent campaign of climate denial. And we wouldn’t be where we are if the fossil fuel industry had not, since Citizens United, used its power to spend unlimited dark money in politics—and threaten and promise to spend unlimited dark money in politics—to prevent reasonable, sensible climate action from happening. Trump does not represent the United States on matters related to climate. He represents the fossil fuel industry, and specifically his big billionaire fossil fuel donors, when it comes to climate matters.”

“It’s shameful that the Trump administration and the United States government chose not to be involved and engaged at the most recent COP conference, essentially ceding leadership on this issue to the Chinese Communist Party while leaving Americans behind,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.  “As it relates to dealing with the climate crisis, a corrupt bargain has been struck between these outside special interests, Donald Trump and Republicans in the Congress, which is why there's no action in dealing with the climate crisis, because they are following the perspective of GOP big donors.  That’s corruption in real time, and it's having an adverse impact on the American people.”

“The climate crisis is a health issue for our children, an economic issue for America’s workers, a security issue as droughts, floods, and rising seas drive instability and migration and a fundamental values issue about whether we will be good stewards of God’s creation,” said Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.  “If you believe as I do, that this is God’s creation, then we have a moral responsibility to act—to protect the air our children breathe, the water they drink and the communities they call home.  Donald Trump and Republicans may be in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry, but Democrats are in the corner of the American people, fighting to lower costs, advance clean energy and pass on a sustainable planet to future generations.”

The full press conference is available HERE.