Organizing for America has been increasingly engaged on the climate crisis, and yesterday released a video hitting the 135 climate deniers in Congress. It’s a 30-second clip, so it can only feature a few brief quotes, but the point is OFA is using the issue for progressive activism.
And when it comes to “calling out” climate deniers, congressional Republicans are certainly giving progressives plenty to work with lately. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), the vice chair of the House Science Committee, argued last week that “global warming is a total fraud” created by those who want “global government to control all of our lives.” A few days prior, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) described the entirety of climate science as “more of a religion than a science.”
And then there’s Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), who made these startling comments at a forum in his local district this week. (Thanks to James Carter for the heads-up.)
In this unnerving clip, Miller argues in a room full of people, “This whole Al Gore thing of climate change unfortunately is not doing this nation any good.”
And while you might be thing, “Well, no, of course climate change isn’t doing the nation any good,” in context, Miller meant worrying about climate change is a bad idea.
Wait, it gets worse. The right-wing congressman went on to say, “I will defund the EPA.” When Miller was asked about warnings from the Navy about the national security threat posed by the climate crisis, one of his constituents shouted, “The admirals are idiots!” The congressman proceeded to explain why he has no use for the Navy’s judgment, and says he has his own scientists who tell him what he wants to hear, and just “a few years ago,” some wacky scientists warned we’d “all be ice cubes.” Miller concluded, “Our climate will continue to change because of the way God formed the earth.” Miller is a 10-year veteran of Congress who currently serves as the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The place for in-depth analysis, commentary and informed perspectives. Recommended
