Here Are the 56 Percent of Congressional Republicans Who Deny Climate Change

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This post first appeared at ThinkProgress.

Climate change is happening, humans are the cause, and a shocking number of congressional Republicans — over 56 percent — deny or question the science. CAP Action conducted a fresh analysis of public statements from current Representatives and Senators from the 114th Congress on climate change. Roll over any state on the map below for information on its resident climate science deniers, or click on the state to be taken to a new tab with full quotes and figures for each state.

All told, 170 elected representatives in the 114th Congress have taken over $63.8 million from the fossil fuel industry that’s driving the carbon emissions which cause climate change. They deny what over 97 percent of scientists say is happening — current human activity creates the greenhouse gas emissions that trap heat within the atmosphere and cause climate change. And their constituents are paying the price, with Americans across the nation suffering 500 climate-related national disaster declarations since 2011.

This list will be updated regularly.

ALABAMA

Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04): “I fall into the second group of people who believe, as do many very credible scientists, that the earth is currently in a natural warming cycle rather than a man-made climate change. Many scientists believe that natural cycles of warming and cooling have existed since the beginning of Earth. If we take the current models of climate prediction and apply those same models to what actually happened in the last thirty years, the models are shown to be very flawed. In addition, what knowledge we do have of a warming period in the Middle Ages cannot be explained by current models which are focused on greenhouse gas reductions.” [Think Progress, 06/26/13]

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL-05): “I’m also old enough to remember when the same left-wing part of our society was creating a global cooling scare in order to generate funds for their pet projects. So 30-some years ago the big scare was global cooling, and once they drained that [topic], they shifted to global warming. So I’m approaching the issue with a healthy degree of skepticism. If the evidence is there to prove it, then so be it.” [Science Insider, 2/9/11]

Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL-06): “The science that shows we haven’t had a temperature increase in 17 or 18 years. The science that says global climate change is more a function of nature and solar activity than it is anything man does.” [RayComGroup, 7/18/14]

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL): Sen. Jeff Sessions was more than surprised when informed by Sen. Barbara Boxer that roughly 98 percent of climate scientists accepted that anthropogenic warming was real and serious — he was outraged:

SESSIONS: Madam Chairman, I am offended by that, I’m offended by that — I didn’t say anything about the scientists. I said the data shows [sic] it is not warming to the degree that a lot of people predicted, not close to that much…

BOXER: The conclusion that you’re coming to is shared by 1-2 percent of the scientists. You shouldn’t be offended by that. That’s the fact.

SESSIONS: I don’t believe that’s correct.

[ThinkProgress, 8/1/2012]

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL): “Global warming continues to be an issue of significant debate in Congress and throughout the scientific community. In addition, important scientific research is ongoing as there are still many questions that must be answered before we take steps to address this issue. For example, is the climate change phenomenon cyclical or is it a function of manmade pollutants, or both? I believe the science must be firmly grounded before we take any actions that could seriously cripple many sectors of our economy.” [Shelby Letter, 12/14/07]

ALASKA

Rep. Don Young (R-AK-At Large): “I think this is the biggest scam since the Teapot Dome.” [KTVA Interview, 2/18/10]

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): “With 7 billion humans on earth, there is likely some impact on nature. The last few years clearly show, though, that there is no concrete scientific consensus on the extent to which humans contribute to climate change.” [Newsminer.com, 8/18/14]

ARIZONA

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ-08): “While I am concerned about the potential effects of global warming, I have yet to see clear and convincing evidence that it exists beyond historical fluctuations.” [AZ Central Candidate Survey, 2008]

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04): “Further, ‘global warming’ now known as ‘climate change’ is likely not in our control in any event. Historical records clearly demonstrate vast temperature swings long before Man arrived, from temperate zones in Alaska to ice ages in New York.” [AZ Central Candidate Survey, 2012]

Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ-06): “When you think about the complexity of a worldwide system and the amount of data you’d have to capture, and how you adjust for a sunspot, and how you adjust for a hurricane and I think it’s incredibly arrogant for the Al Gores of the world to stand up and say the world is coming to an end.” [Interview with conservative activist Marcus Kelley via Huffington Post, 6/26/14]

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): For years during the Bush presidency, Sen. John McCain argued that global warming pollution was an existential threat that required a strict cap-and-trade carbon market. Now that Obama is president and climate policy is a real possibility, McCain sounds and acts like a climate science denier: “I do not support the cap-and-trade energy reform legislation under consideration in Congress. There are dramatic environmental changes happening in the arctic region — whether one believes they are man-made or natural.” McCain now opposes the cap-and-trade policy he once championed, and opposes the EPA finding that greenhouse gases are pollution. [ThinkProgress, 9/13/10]

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ): “Certainly, nobody can deny that we’ve had several years of warmer temperatures. If that signals just a routine change that is manmade or not, I don’t think anybody can say definitely.” [Arizona Public Radio, 10/25/12]

ARKANSAS

Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR-01): Rep. Crawford fielded a question regarding climate change and President Obama’s environmental agenda while speaking to radio station KASU 91.9 FM. “There’s not sound science to support some of the initiatives that the President, I think, is committed to. We know that some of the research was faulty and it drove a lot of the agenda for a long time. and then it turned out there were some questions about the validity of that research.” He continued, “I don’t see a lot of the green initiatives that are being talked about being supported by scientific data, but more supported by political agendas.” [Talk Business Arkansas, 1/27/13]

Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AR-02): “I am not convinced that the problem of global warming is what the scientists say it is. Particularly in light of the recent research, that demonstrates that there are a lot of shenanigans going on with the data.” [THV 11, 4/12/10]

Sen. John Boozman (R-AR): “Well I think that we’ve got perhaps climate change going on. The question is what’s causing it. Is man causing it, or, you know, is this a cycle that happens throughout the years, throughout the ages. And you can look back some of the previous times when there was no industrialization, you had these different ages, ice ages, and things warming and things. That’s the question.” More recently, Sen. Boozman said, “Now I’m not a scientist but I’m an optometrist, and I spent much of my life working with the scientific community. I was a zoology major. And I’ve said before that there’s nothing scientific about discrediting people who present conflicting evidence and ask reasonable questions.” [ThinkProgress, 9/13/10; Arkansas Times, 6/21/14]

CALIFORNIA

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA-42): Calvert co-sponsored H.Res.954, a resolution that stated: “Whereas recent events have uncovered extensive evidence from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in England (in this resolution referred to as the ‘CRU’) which involved many researchers across the globe discussing the destruction, altering, and hiding of data that did not support global warming claims.” [H.Res.954, GovTrack, 12/8/09]

Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA-10): While debating a bill requiring climate change to be taught in schools, then state senator Denham said he wanted a guarantee that the views of global warming skeptics will be taught. “Some wouldn’t view them as skeptics. Some would view them as the right side of the issue. We don’t have complete factual information yet. From what I have seen the Earth has heated and cooled on its own for centuries. I don’t know that there’s anything that is a direct cause of that right now, but we can do a better job of cleaning up our planet.” [Mercury News, 1/1/09]

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA-50): “There is climate change. Is there human-caused climate change? I don’t buy that.” [Times of San Diego, 9/26/14]

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA-49): “One of the difficulties in examining the issue of the climate change and greenhouse gases is that there is a wide range of scientific opinion on this issue and the science community does not agree to the extent of the problem or the critical threshold of when this problem is truly catastrophic.” [Project Vote Smart Issue Position, 1/1/12]

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01): “The climate of the globe has been fluctuating since God created it.” [Redding Record, 9/24/14]

Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA-04): “The planet has been warming — on and off — since the last ice age, when glaciers covered much of North America. The climate has been changing since the planet formed, often much more abruptly than it has in recent millennia. Until the earth begins moving into its next ice age, we can reasonably expect it to continue to warm. That will mean less water can be stored in snow packs and therefore more will need to be stored behind dams.” [Congressman Tom McClintock, 2/27/14]

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA-22): “However, scientists admit that they cannot be sure whether the Earth’s temperature is rising due to cyclical warming and cooling processes, or whether and how much humans are influencing it.” [Project Vote Smart Issue Position, 1/1/12]

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA-48): “Just so you’ll know, global warming is a total fraud and it’s being designed because what you’ve got is you’ve got liberals who get elected at the local level want state government to do the work and let them make the decisions. Then, at the state level, they want the federal government to do it. And at the federal government, they want to create global government to control all of our lives.” [Huffington Post, 8/12/13]

COLORADO

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO-04): “Sen. Inhofe was the first person to stand up and say this global warming is the greatest hoax that has been perpetrated. The evidence just keeps supporting his view, and more and more people’s view, of what’s going on.” [ThinkProgress, 8/8/13]

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO-06): “Climate change is naturally occurring. What influence do we have over that, we certainly need to look into, but that’s subject to debate.” [The Atlantic, 6/15/12]

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO-05): “Lamborn said there are ‘a lot of contentious facts and claims about global warming and whether it is man made.’ However, he said there is ‘not much unanimity’ about it. At that statement many audience members commented that 98 percent was ‘pretty unanimous.’ Lamborn said he spoke to a scientist who believes that global warming is man-made and ‘should materialize’ 50-100 years from now. He said there are issues that need dealing with now. Eckler asked again if he would listen to the evidence claiming global warming is here and now. After more back-and-forth on the issue, Lamborn said, ‘I think we’ve beaten this horse to a pulp. I’m listening to all sides.’” [The Mountain Mail, 6/3/13]

Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO-03): Rep. Tipton conceded that climate change exists, but argued that it’s caused by natural climate cycles rather than humans. “Here in the state of Colorado as our tree rings demonstrate, we’ve had droughts long before there were very many people here,” the Tea Party freshman argued. Acknowledging that humans can affect the climate is futile because it would “divide America,” said Tipton. [ThinkProgress, 8/23/12]

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO): “During the lightning round, yes-or-no portion of The Denver Post debate between Gardner and Udall, the Republican was asked ‘do you believe humans are contributing significantly to climate change?’ ‘Well, I’ve said all along climate is changing,’ Gardner began, earning reprimands from the moderators to answer in one word. ‘This is an important issue and I don’t think you can say yes or no,’ Gardner fired back, earning boos from the crowd and another reprimand. ‘I believe climate is changing, but I disagree to the extent that’s been in the news that man is changing — ’ he started again, earning a third reprimand and a reminder that he would have time later to explain his answer if he wanted.” [MSNBC, 10/6/14]

FLORIDA

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25): “I know there’s a lot of money to be made on the bandwagon of global warming, you can make movies, documentaries, get a lot of research money — and that’s okay, I love capitalism … My fear is using the bandwagon of global warming to have Congress act on some knee-jerk reaction which will please some editorialists, will hurt our economy, will not do anything to help us in the future.” [Mario Diaz-Balart Video, 9/25/07]

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL-01): “I have scientists that I rely on, the scientists that I rely on say our climate has changed. It wasn’t just a few years ago, what was the problem that existed? It wasn’t global warming, we were gonna all be an ice cube. We’re not ice cubes. Our climate will continue to change because of the way God formed the earth.” According to BuzzFeed, earlier at the same event, Miller announced his intentions to defund the Environmental Protection Agency and responded to questions about a scientific consensus on climate change by saying none existed. [BuzzFeed, 8/14/13]

Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL-08): “We’ve had climate change since the day the earth was formed, whenever that was, depending on whatever it is you believe. And we’ll have climate change until the earth implodes, whenever that is … Obviously we’ve had global warming for a long time. You can’t have one seamless ice age that encompasses three ice ages. We had to have warming periods between each of those. And so that is a natural phenomenon. Just because we’re alive now, the tectonics plate shifts aren’t going to stop, the hurricanes tsunamis aren’t going to stop, the asteroid strikes aren’t going to stop, they’ve been going on for eons and they’re going to continue to go on for eons.” [Hill Heat, 3/26/14]

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL): “I do not believe that human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying. And I do not believe that the laws that they propose we pass will do anything about it. Except it will destroy our economy.” [Miami Herald Blog, 5/11/14]

GEORGIA

Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA-12): During a debate, Rep. Allen was asked “Do you believe manmade greenhouse gas emissions are a major source of climate change?” and responded, “the answer is no.” [YouTube, 9/29/14]

Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA-01): “Certainly we have to pay attention to [climate change]. There’s no doubt about that. But I do have reservations about how real it is.” [Savannah Morning News, 7/14/14]

Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA-09): When asked if he believes human activity is contributing to climate change, Rep. Collins answered “no.” [Project Vote Smart Political Courage Test, 2012]

Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA-10): “The Radical Environmental Movement with former Vice President Al Gore as its poster boy has propagandized the theory of impending environmental disaster due to ‘Global Warming.’…The theory is that so-called global warming is caused by greenhouse gases caused by carbon-based fuels.” [Jody Hice for Congress 2010 archive via the WaybackMachine, accessed 1/6/14]

Rep. Tom Price (R-GA-06): “This decision goes against all common sense, especially considering the many recent revelations of errors and obfuscation in the allegedly ‘settled science’ of global warming.” [Republican Study Committee]

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA-03): Co-filed a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider the endangerment finding that said: “Climategate reveals a serious lack of integrity in the underlying data and models, such that it is doubtful that any process can be trusted until the data and models are validated and their integrity assured.” [Petition to EPA, 12/23/09]

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA): “Science has shown us that there has been a gradual warming of the earth over the last 50 years. What is not as clear is whether the cause for this warming is man-made emissions, a cyclical warming of the planet, or a combination of both. Given the uncertainty in the science behind climate change, I believe that we should take proactive steps, both personally and as a nation, to reduce our emissions footprint.” [Project Vote Smart Issue Position, 1/1/11]

Sen. David Perdue (R-GA): “The EPA is really overreaching and damaging entire industries. We’ve got to get some common sense back in Washington—in science, there’s an active debate going on.” [Slate, 5/6/14]

IDAHO

Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID): “While there is no dispute over the fact that the Earth’s climate has changed many times over the planet’s history, the underlying cause of these climactic shifts is ultimately not well-understood and is a matter of vigorous debate.” [Crapo Website]

ILLINOIS

Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL-12): When asked during a radio interview whether he thought climate change was real, Bost said, “I don’t. I don’t know that I do; no.” He continued, “Some scientists do; some scientists don’t” believe in climate change. [St. Louis Public Radio, 10/16/14]

Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL-13): During an interview with Illinois Public Media radio, a constituent asked Representative Rodney Davis what he planned to do to combat climate change, and he responded that “global warming has stopped 16 years ago.” He then went on the say that climate change is real but the debate is over whether or not it is manmade or natural. [Illinois Public Media, 10/16/12]

Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL-14): “The greatest impact on our climate clearly is the sun, and we have very little impact on the sun and how much energy and temperature the sun is sending to the earth. We have seen clearly over thousands of years that at different times more energy has come through and different times less energy has come through, and that variation has impacted climate change. Over the thousands of years that’s been recorded we’ve had both colder times and warmer times. It happens to be that we’ve recently come out of a warmer time and now actually we’re headed in to a little bit of a colder time, the impact of the sun is much different than impact that we could have had.” [Illinois Review, 12/2/09]

Peter Roskam (R-IL-06): During a debate at the College of DuPage, “Roskam drew the ire of the crowd by calling global warming junk science.” [College of DuPage Courier, 10/20/06]

Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL-15): During his introductory remarks at a House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment hearing, Representative Shimkus read from the Bible to prove that global warming will not destroy the earth because only God can decide when the earth will end: “The earth will end only when God declares it is time to be over. Man will not destroy this earth. This earth will not be destroyed by a flood.” [House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment Hearing, 3/25/2009]

INDIANA

Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN-08): “It’s not about affecting the global temperature and climate change. There’s public comments out there that that question has been answered saying ‘no…’ Of all the climatologists whose career depends on the climate changing to keep themselves publishing articles, yes I could read that. But I don’t believe it.” [The Daily Show, 9/22/14]

Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN-04): “97 percent of some of the liberal scientists polled believe humans are doing this. This is not settled science just like perhaps many pf those same scientists — 97 percent perhaps — believe there is no god. But they don’t know there’s no science on that. So scientists like the rest of us humans can have beliefs but that doesn’t make it science.” [Mother Jones, 10/28/14]

Rep. Todd Young (R-IN-09): During his first campaign, Young said he strongly opposed cap and trade and other unilateral measures to combat global warming and that he was uncertain what is causing the observed heating of the planet, adding that it could be caused by sunspots or the normal cycles of nature. “The science is not settled,” he said in an interview with the New York Times. According to the Times, “he said that given the scientific uncertainty, it was not wise to make major changes in the nation’s energy economy to reduce carbon emissions.” [New York Times, 10/20/10]

Sen. Dan Coats (R-IN): “At a candidate forum Saturday, the Republicans running for the U.S. Senate dismissed the threat of global warming, as well. Former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler called it ‘junk science.’ State Sen. Marlin Stutzman called it a ‘manufactured controversy.’ Former U.S. Sen. Dan Coats discussed this year’s snowstorm in Washington, D.C., ignoring scientists who say global warming causes intensified weather consistent with such a snowstorm.” [Evansville Courier & Press, 4/18/10]

IOWA

Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA-01): “Well, it’s interesting. I can see why the average citizen is skeptical about this. I guess you can put me in that camp. I’m skeptical … I’m not a scientist, and I know most scientists’ paychecks come from the federal government, and so right away that makes me a bit skeptical. Thirty years ago we were going into a global cooling period. That makes me skeptical.” [Iowa Public Radio, 5/29/14]

Rep. Steve King (R-IA-04): At an event sponsored by the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity, King told the audience that climate change “is not proven, it’s not science. It’s more of a religion than a science.” He also said that more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could be good. “Everything that might result from a warmer planet is always bad in [environmentalists’] analysis,” King said. “There will be more photosynthesis going on if the Earth gets warmer … And if sea levels go up 4 or 6 inches, I don’t know if we’d know that.” [ThinkProgress, 8/7/13]

Rep. David Young (R-IA-03): “I’ve seen, like a lot of people, credible studies on both sides of this issue. I do know one thing for sure: We need to use sound science and not put this into a political science box. We need to make sure also that if this is going to be put through public policy, it needs to not be done unilaterally through this administration, through executive order, or by the EPA.” [Iowa Public Radio, 5/22/14]

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA): “I don’t know the science behind climate change. I can’t say one way or another what is the direct impact, whether it’s man-made or not. I’ve heard arguments from both sides, but I do believe in protecting our environment, but without the job killing regulations that are coming out of the [Environmental Protection Agency] …” [ThinkProgress, 9/29/14]

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): “But the scientific aspect that I’m still reserving judgment on is the extent to which it’s manmade or natural. And it’s reasonable, considering that there’s at least a natural factor in it, because historically, and you can go to the core drillings in the glaciers to get proof of this, that we’ve had decades and decades, and maybe even centuries of periods of time when there’s been a tremendous rise in temperature, and then a tremendous fall in temperature. And all you’ve got to do is look at the little ice age of the mid-last millennia as an example. And so we’ve got to single out what’s natural and what’s manmade before you can make policy.” [Grist, 8/26/09]

KANSAS

Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS-02): “I cosponsored a res. overturning an EPA rule that says man-made greenhouse gas emissions are a danger to public health.” [Twitter, 3/3/10]

Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS-04): When asked if he believes global warming is a problem, Pompeo responded: “Look, I think the science needs to continue to develop. I’m happy to continue to look at it. There are scientists who think lots of different things about climate change. There’s some who think we’re warming, there’s some who think we’re cooling, there’s some who think that the last 16 years have shown a pretty stable climate environment.” [C-SPAN Interview, 6/25/13]

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS): “There’s no question there’s some global warming, but I’m not sure what it means. A lot of this is condescending elitism.” [Topeka Capital-Journal, 8/24/10]

KENTUCKY

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-04): Rep. Thomas Massie challenged President Obama to roll out the proof that humans have played a hand in climate change. Massie said he was “disappointed” that the president in his second inaugural address blamed droughts on “human activity” and accused some of “denying the evidence of scientists,” the Washington Times reported. “As somebody with a science-type background, I took offense at that,” Mr. Massie said during a panel meeting billed as “Conversations With Conservatives.” “I would challenge him to show us the linkage — the undeniable linkage — between droughts and the change of weather, and some kind of human activity.” [Washington Times Inside Politics Blog, 1/22/13]

Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY-01): “Misrepresenting scientific research to support one’s own personal beliefs, particularly on an international stage, is dangerous, disingenuous and simply unacceptable. I call on Mr. [Al] Gore to come clean about the real science surrounding climate change and let the American people come to their own conclusions on global warming.” [Whitfield Website, 12/15/09]

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “For everybody who thinks it’s warming, I can find somebody who thinks it isn’t.” More recently, when asked whether he agreed that human activity was driving climate change, McConnell responded, “I’m not a scientist.” [Cincinnati Inquirer, 3/7/14; ThinkProgress, 10/3/14]

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): “I think that scientific debate should not be dumbed down to politics. I think this debate has become so dumbed down beyond belief. The Earth is 4.54 [billion] or 4.6 billion years old. Anybody who’s ever studied any geology knows that over periods of time, long periods of time, that the climate changes, mmkay? I’m not sure anybody exactly knows why. But we have twenty-, thirty-, hundred-thousand sort of year cycles that go on with the climate. It has been much warmer than it is today. We have real data [for] about 100 years. So somebody tell me what 100 years data is in an Earth that is 4.6 billion years old? My guess is that the conclusions you make from that are not conclusive.” [Huffington Post, 4/23/14]

LOUISIANA

Rep. John Fleming (R-LA-04): “Quietly released scientific report without fanfare. Global warming, to the the extent that it ever existed, halted 16 years ago. So, what is Washington controlled by the radical environmental agenda?” [Fleming Facebook Post, 10/14/12]

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA-01): “While their global warming agenda continues to lose support, it’s ironic that radical environmentalists are at it again, less than a month after NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), announced the Great Lakes had the most widespread ice coverage in over 35 years. Thirty years ago liberals were using global cooling to push new radical regulations. Then they shifted their focus to global warming in an effort to prop up wave after wave of job-killing regulations that are leading to skyrocketing food and energy costs.” [The Times-Picayune, 3/31/14]

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA): During a debate, Sen. Cassidy said, “global temperatures have not risen in 15 years.” [Washington Examiner, 10/14/14]

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA): “I do not think the science clearly supports global warming theory.” [KLFY, 10/28/10]

MAINE

Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME-02): “Clearly our climate is changing; the question is, is man responsible for that climate change? I personally am suspect.” [Maine Public Broadcasting Network, 6/4/10]


MARYLAND

Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD-01): “I believe the actual science is uncertain … We have to understand why it hasn’t; before we spend literally, worldwide, trillions of dollars on this, we should understand exactly what’s happening, and even more importantly, whether … by spending that money, we have a change of affecting it in any significant way. Because I don’t believe we are going to convince the rest of the countries of the world not to use more energy.’” [Star Democrat, 8/23/13]

MICHIGAN

Rep. Dan Benishek (R-MI-01): “Despite overwhelming scientific evidence that humans are contributing to climate change, Rep. Benishek has said that climate change is ‘all baloney’ and ‘just some scheme.’ Pointing to his background as a general surgeon, Benishek claims he’s ‘a scientist’ who has the expertise to know that climate change is ‘unproven science stuff.’” [LCV Dirty Dozen, 7/24/12]

Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI-02): “Today’s global warming doomsayers simply lack the scientific evidence to support their claims. A host of leaders in the scientific community have recognized that the argument for drastic anthropogenic global warming is no longer based on science, but is being driven by irrational fanaticism.” [VoteMI. Org]

Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI-10): “There is little doubt that the world’s climate is changing, because the climate has always changed. Just ask the dinosaurs or remember the ice age and how huge glaciers melting and moving formed our Great Lakes. The question is whether the current climate change is human-induced.” [Miller, 12/14/09]

Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI-06): “We’ve experienced climate change for a long time, highs and lows. We had the coldest winter ever last winter. There was a report out that the Great Lakes are six degrees below what they were a year ago. I don’t know that climate scientists can really predict where we’re headed.” [Michigan Live, 10/17/14]

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI-07): “I read scientists, editors … an equal number at the very least that say just the opposite that this is something that’s gone on for eons, that we go through these cycles.” [Town Hall, 7/25/08]

MINNESOTA

Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN-06): “Biodiversity, diversity to me means you’ve got to look at both sides. You know what, the empirical evidence does not support this and the other reps that have talked. There is another side. Just because we make these chambers available to Will Steger and the crowd that wants to rely on Al Gore’s climate porn doesn’t mean that that’s the way it is. There is another side to the story, one that we tried to present a couple of months ago, but apparently it’s frowned upon by the folks that are in control so it doesn’t get the same play in this room. Folks, there is another side.” [ThinkProgress, 10/13/10]

Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN-03): When asked if human beings are contributing to global warming, Paulsen said he wasn’t smart enough to know whether that’s true or not. [Minnesota Public Radio, 8/16/08]

MISSISSIPPI

Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS-03): “I don’t believe that the science is at all settled on man-made global warming.” [Mississippi State University Event, 11/2/12]

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS): “Science shows that there is an increase of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere. But it has not been compellingly proven that mankind is responsible for the rise in atmospheric CO2, nor is it clear what impact CO2 has on Earth’s temperatures.” [Wicker Website, 12/14/09]

MISSOURI

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-04): “Enjoying another beautiful global warming day in Missouri! Rep. Skelton and the UN Summit need to quit their dist. of wealth for a hoax.” [Twitter, 12/15/09]

Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-03): “Luetkemeyer’s legislation would prohibit U.S. contributions to the IPCC, which is nothing more than a group of U.N. bureaucrats that supports man-made claims on global warming that many scientists disagree with. Meanwhile, our very own Environmental Protection Agency recently reported that we are undergoing a period of worldwide cooling.” [Luetkemeyer Website]

Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO-02): “The field of climate science is in its relative infancy and it appears that some within the public policy world have made dubious assessments of scientific information in order to further their own political agenda. Our policy response to this dilemma should not be based on inconsistent and unsound science or driven by the fear of a supposed catastrophe.” [Riverfront Times, 5/29/13]

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO): “There isn’t any real science to say we are altering the climate path of the earth.” [Human Events, 4/29/09]

MONTANA

Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT-At Large): “It’s not a hoax, but it’s not proven science either. But you don’t dismantle America’s power and energy on a maybe. We need to be energy independent first. We need to do it better, which we can, but it is not a settled science.” [ThinkProgress, 10/5/14]

Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT-At Large): In a radio interview with Montana Public Radio, Daines admits the climate is changing but questions the impacts by man, that there is “significant debate here,” the “jury is still out,” and brings up the debate of sun/solar cycles versus greenhouse gases. [Montana Public Radio, 12/2/12]

NEBRASKA

Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE-03): In an interview with Nebraska Citizen, Rep. Smith was asked if he believes in global warming, to which he responded “No!” The reporter said that Rep. Smith believes many of the “facts” about global warming are in dispute. [Nebraska Citizen, 11/22/05]

Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE): “Asked about man-made climate change, Fischer immediately said, ‘I certainly don’t support cap-and-trade.’ She said she believes in weather change, but she said she does not believe man has a huge impact on the climate.” [The Independent, 8/25/12]

NEVADA

Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV-02): “The issue of climate change is very controversial and many scientists disagree as to its causes and how to handle it. I recognize that some scientists believe that global warming is caused by failed environmental practices; however, others argue that these temperature increases would incur regardless due to the warming of the center of the earth. I do not believe it is appropriate for the federal government to advocate one position over the other. Since, we do not know much about long-term climate change, I do agree we must have an unbiased research effort funded by both the government and the private sector to answer the essential questions about climate change.” [Daily Kos, 8/16/13]

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH-01): “I think the science is not complete on this issue. I see different studies that say different things.” [AP, 10/7/14]

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH): Asked if she believed in climate change, she said, “there is scientific evidence that demonstrates there is some impact from human activities. However I don’t think the evidence is conclusive.” [Sea Coast Online, 9/30/10]

NEW JERSEY

Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ-05): “The real question that still exists in a lot of people’s minds, experts and non-experts alike, on the area of global warming and what role the government should have in this realm … I’ve heard a number of experts on both sides of the equation on this issue and to me the evidence, the question is still out there.” [North Jersey Q&A, 9/30/10]

Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ-07): “The disclosure of emails from the CRU is very troubling and merits a thorough and transparent investigation. Clearly there is a strong appearance that important scientific research may have been tainted by politics.” [Lance Website, 12/3/09]

NEW MEXICO

Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM-02): “I googled this issue a couple of days ago, see that there are 31,000 scientists who say that human action is not causing the global warming at all. And in fact the last 17 years there has not been global warming, the temperature has been very stable for the last 17 years.” [Mother Jones, 10/28/14]

NEW YORK

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY-03): “I think it would be very productive if we could just get to exactly what is really and what is not real, because I think both sides of the climate change debate are filled with people who are stretching truths. I’m not sold yet on the whole argument that we have as serious a problem with climate change as other people.” [Newsday, 10/28/14]

NORTH CAROLINA

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05): “North Carolina Republican Virginia Foxx referenced books by climate-change skeptics and lamented that some environmentalists ‘think that we, human beings, have more impact on the climate and the world than God does.’” [Huffington Post, 4/7/11]

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC-08): When asked if human activity is contributing to climate change, Hudson responded no. [Project Vote Smart Political Courage Survey]

Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-NC-03): “However, there is substantial disagreement regarding the extent of this warming, whether it’s caused by human activity or simply nature taking its course, and what solutions, if any, should be implemented. The bottom line is that the scientific community does not speak with one voice on this issue.” [Crystal Coast Tea Party, Jones Letter, 12/17/09]

Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC-09): “Pittenger doesn’t mind standing his ground, even when it’s lonely. For example, he’s the most prominent skeptic on a legislative commission on climate change. Like a sort of anti-Al Gore, he shows a PowerPoint full of statistics about halocarbons and nitrous oxide, and quotes from scientists who, like him, have tried to debunk the science behind global warming. ‘There are people up there relaxed about the system on both sides of the aisle,’ he said. ‘My job is not to go out there and just ‘kumbaya.’” [Charlotte Observer, 4/1/08]

Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC-07): “Well, you know, I don’t necessarily listen to any one person. And I can’t, you know, tick off a whole list of scientists that are pro-sea level rise and a whole list of scientists that aren’t — I’m just coming at it from a common sense standpoint. The earth has been warming and cooling since day one. And you know, the effect on sea level change, what do we know about it?” [PBS, last accessed 12/8/14]

Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC-06): “We can be green without being extreme. Much of the ‘so-called’ science of climate change is contested though it’s made a few politicians quite wealthy. I believe that God provided the earth to us and we have a responsibility to conserve and respect the environment.” [Walker for North Carolina, last accessed 12/8/14]

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC): “I have no clue [how much of climate change is attributable to human activity], and I don’t think that science can prove it … I certainly haven’t seen anything that’s conclusive, and anything that’s claimed to be conclusive has proven to be somewhat sketchy.” [National Journal, 12/2/11]

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC): During the first Republican primary debate in North Carolina, the moderator asked all four candidates, including Tillis, “Is climate change a fact?” The questioned prompted some laughter from the audience as well as several candidates. All four then answered simply, “no.” [ThinkProgress, 4/23/14]

NORTH DAKOTA

Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND-At Large): “These mandates and these wind farms are all based on this fraudulent science from the EPA, meaning their claim that CO2 is a pollutant and is causing global warming. I’m sure you’re familiar with one of the leading climate research centers in the world there at East Anglia University in England, the Hadley Research Centre. The director, Phil Jones, his emails, he admitted that he was falsifying temperature data. The reason he had to do is because was the data was showing the global climate is actually declining in temperature, temperatures were going down. He was overlaying higher temperatures on the real data to show that it was actually rising. We know the globe is cooling. Number one, we know that. So the idea that CO2 is somehow causing global warming is on its face fraudulent.” [Hill Heat, 8/7/13]

Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND): “Well, the science shows that there’s warming. There’s different opinions of exactly what’s causing it.” [Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Hearing]

OHIO

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH-08): “George, the idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide. Every cow in the world, you know, when they do what they do, you’ve got more carbon dioxide.” [ABC News Transcript, 4/19/09; ThinkProgress, 5/29/14]

Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH-01): “Despite claims to the contrary, the evidence concerning man-made climate change is far from conclusive. However, what is conclusive is the damage some of the more extreme proposals intended to address climate change, like cap-and-trade, will have on our economy.” [Cincinnati.com, 10/12/14]

Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH-07): “It is clear that science has not been able to document what is happening and if human activity is causing a problem or not. Many scientists are on both sides of this issue and the proponents of climate change have not substantiated their findings based on sound science.” [League of Women Voters 2010 Voters Guide]

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH-06): Johnson asserted in 2011, “I am not an alarmist that believes that greenhouse gas emissions coming from the coal industry are causing major problems.” [ThinkProgress, 6/6/13]

Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH-15): Disagrees with the statement: “Man-made global warming is a scientific fact.” [NRDC Action Fund, 8/30/10]

Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH-12): Tiberi “doesn’t think there is a consensus among scientists about whether global warming is proven. ‘If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the climate-change debate, it’s that I am not a climate scientist. I have had the privilege of hearing testimony from some of the top climatologists in the world,’ Tiberi said.” [Columbus Dispatch, 12/20/09]

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH): “When you analyze all the data, there is a warming trend according to science. But the jury is out on the degree of how much is manmade.” [Columbus Dispatch, 7/25/10]

OKLAHOMA

Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK-01): Bridenstine “downplayed the need for more climate research by noting that atmospheric temperatures have not risen over the last decade, and said temperatures coincide more with solar activity than with man-made factors. ‘Global temperatures stopped rising 10 years ago,’ he said. ‘Global temperature changes, when they exist, correlate with sun output and ocean cycles.’ He noted the Medieval Warm Period that happened ‘long before cars, power plants and the industrial revolution.’ And he noted the Little Ice Age, which also happened irrespective of human activity.’ Even climate change alarmists admit that the number of hurricanes hitting the U.S. and the number of tornado touchdowns have been on a slow decline for over 100 years,’ he said.” [The Hill, 6/11/13]

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK-03): “Most telling of the EPA’s irrational regulatory approach is how the EPA has concluded that the breath that we exhale, the gas that livestock expels, are dangerous pollutants and should be regulated by the Clean Air Act.” [April 7, 2011 House floor speech via Huffington Post, 6/26/14]

Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-02): “I haven’t seen the reports that would get me to believe that anything’s different [with regards to climate change] than the patterns that we had that we’ve gone through through the time of records.” [ThinkProgress, 8/9/13]

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK): “To my knowledge, nobody has uttered the term ‘global warming’ since 2009. It’s been completely refuted in most areas. … Those people who really believe that the world’s coming to an end because of global warming and that’s all due to manmade, anthropogenic gases, we call those people alarmists. … I really believe it’s the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” [Politico, 8/1/12]

Sen. James Lankford (R-OK): “This whole global warming myth will be exposed as what it really is — a way of control more than anything else. And that generation will be ticked.” [Edmond Sun, 2/16/10]

PENNSYLVANIA

Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA-11): “You know there’s arguments on both sides. I’m not convinced that there’s scientific evidence that proves that. I believe there’s some that can also argue the opposite.” [Citizens Voice, 10/17/10]

Rep. Charles Dent (R-PA-15): “I am concerned that world leaders and scientists are gathering in Copenhagen this week to potentially develop global climate treaties at a time when the international community is questioning the legitimacy of leading climate scientists. Unfortunately, the revelation of these deceitful emails has tarnished the credibility of significant scientific research.” [Dent Website, 12/7/09]

Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA-18): “I think it is dangerous science for Congress to declare climate theory a fact.” [ThinkProgress, 3/15/11]

Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA-04): “‘I do believe global warming is occurring … However, I do take exception, whether it’s man-made or not. I learned in public school, the scientific theory … You have a theory and it has to be proven. And I’m concerned anytime that a nation, or the world, makes up policy based on a theory that … has gained consensus but’ does not have proof, he said.” [YDR Politics, 9/20/12]

Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-PA-12): Rothfus responded: “I do not believe it’s man-made and I am not convinced that it is a fact. I think the science is still out. I think for the last 15 years we haven’t had any warming” to the question: Do you believe that global warming which is now referred to as climate change is a fact, and if so do you believe that it is man-made? [Roundtable Interview, 9/8/10]

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA-09): “Protecting our environment for future generations is one of the most important issues facing our country and the world. There continues to be debate among the scientific community on the precise reason why global temperatures have gradually risen over the last century.” [WTAJ-TV, 8/18/08]

Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA-05): “In the debate and most of the debate of the majority party here, it’s not so much based on real science as political science or even, to some degree, science fiction. And so, to look at why this — and I looked at every piece of legislation in terms of cost benefits. And when we look at the benefits of this, I think human activity, it’s acknowledged, does contribute towards carbon dioxide emissions. But it’s less than 4 percent. To put that into perspective, forest fires, wildfires contribute 10 percent of CO2 emissions. And so not even with the debate of, you know, are we warming the Earth or not warming the Earth, there’s a lot of smart folks out there that are publishing research or earning their dissertations based on debating that science. But what the experts agree upon, the researchers agree is, human activity is less than 4 percent contributes towards CO2 emissions.” [Congressional Record, 6/2/09]

Sen. Patrick Toomey (R-PA): “My view is: I think the data is pretty clear. There has been an increase in the surface temperature of the planet over the course of the last 100 years or so. I think it’s clear that that has happened. The extent to which that has been caused by human activity I think is not as clear. I think that is still very much disputed and has been debated.” [ThinkProgress Video, 10/8/10]

SOUTH CAROLINA

Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC-03): “The problem with the agency’s finding is that it relies on questionable science and ignores vigorous dissention among the scientific community. Even if we set aside the abundance of scientific dissention when it comes to the EPA’s endangerment findings or the supposed effects of CO2 on climate, the EPA’s regulations will not reduce CO2 enough to have any meaningful effect.” [Duncan, 2012]

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC-04): “Global warming has not been proven to the satisfaction of the constituents I seek to serve.” [Go Upstate, 5/23/10]

Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC-05): “Energy independence, green technology, and innovation is something we should pursue as a nation. However, we shouldn’t seek to accomplish that by taxing people based on questionable science. Neither should we ignore domestic energy resources — coal, natural gas, oil — because of baseless claims regarding global warming.” [Mulvaney Website]

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC-02): When asked if he believes that human activity is contributing to climate change, Rep. Wilson answered “no.” [Project Vote Smart Political Courage Survey]

TENNESSEE

Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06): “The far left-wing elements of this administration foresee a near future with carbon regulated as a pollutant and heavily taxed to discourage consumption and generate revenue. We must resist all of these radical approaches all geared to raise energy prices on American families and businesses.” [Project Vote Smart Issue Position]

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07): “[T]here is not consensus [on climate change] and you can look at the latest IPCC Report and look at Doctor Lindzen from MIT. His rejection of that or Judith Curry … from Georgia Tech. There is not consensus there.” [The Wire, 2/17/14]

Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. (R-TN-02): On his website, Duncan lists five scientists that claim global warming is not real, including how global warming is “the greatest scam in history.” [Duncan Website]

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03): When asked his opinion about global warming during a candidate debate, Fleischmann said: “I think we ought to take Al Gore, put him on an iceberg, and put him way out there.” [Times Free Press, 7/5/12]

Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN-01): “Many believe greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to the gradual warming of our planet and changing of our climate. While there are many questions surrounding the science of the issue, it seems to me like we could develop a solution that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions without inflicting catastrophic damage on our economy.” [Project Vote Smart Issue Position, 1/1/11]

TEXAS

Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX-06): “I don’t deny that the climate is changing. I think you can have an honest difference of opinion on what’s causing that change without automatically being either all-in that it’s all because of mankind or it’s all just natural. I think there’s a divergence of evidence … I would point out if you’re a believer in the Bible, one would have to say the Great Flood is an example of climate change. And that certainly wasn’t because mankind overdeveloped hydrocarbon energy.” [Raw Story, 4/10/13]

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX-26): “My opinion, for what it is worth, is that the science behind global temperature changes is not settled.” [Subcommittee on Energy and Power Hearing, 3/8/11]

Rep. John Carter (R-TX-31): “Global warming is simply a chicken-little scheme to use mass media and government propaganda to convince the world that destruction of individual liberties and national sovereignty is necessary to save mankind, and that the unwashed masses would destroy themselves without the enlightened global dictatorship of these frauds.” [Carter Website]

Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-TX-11): “Science is never settled … they changed the phraseology because the climate isn’t warming.” [House Floor, 6/29/09]

Rep. John Culberson (R-TX-07): “This week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided that the air we exhale, carbon dioxide, is toxic and poses a danger to our well-being … While this blatant power grab is disappointing, the truly alarming part is that the scientific evidence the EPA used to support its conclusion comes directly from United Nations (U.N.) climate data — the same data that were recently found to have been deliberately manipulated to support the global warming movement. When EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced the proposed endangerment finding in April, she readily admitted that the agency “relied heavily upon the major findings and conclusions from recent assessments of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.” Emails recently made public offer definitive proof of a collective effort among some U.N. scientists to misrepresent climate data in order to foist their political agenda onto the public.” [Culberson, 12/9/09]

Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX-27): “Global warming is scare tactic used by groups with a political agenda. While I support protecting the environment, the green agenda pushes it way beyond common sense, with ideas like cap and trade which would destroy American industry.” [Farenthold Website]

Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX-17): “It is time we stopped putting petty politics based on dubious ‘agenda-driven, scientific’ research ahead of creating more American energy.” [Flores Campaign Website, 12/18/11]

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX-01): “Apparently this climate change was global freezing back in the 1970s. Then global warming and then, when it quit warming, now it’s climate change.” [Washington Times, 5/8/14]

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX-10): Co-sponsored H.Res.954, a resolution that stated: “Whereas recent events have uncovered extensive evidence from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in England (in this resolution referred to as the ‘CRU’) which involved many researchers across the globe discussing the destruction, altering, and hiding of data that did not support global warming claims.” [H.Res.954, GovTrack, 12/8/09]

Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX-19): “What we have here is a case of formulating scientific findings that back up policy, instead of creating policy that is backed up by legitimate science. Proponents of man-made global warming in Congress will use every opportunity they have to invite witnesses to testify before Congress who only share their point of view. We now have clear evidence of what we knew all along, that there are perhaps thousands of scientists who don’t share these views, and sadly have been the subject of concerted efforts to discourage and suppress their findings from publication.” [Neugebauer, 12/1/09]

Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX-22): “The emails that emerge from the University of East Anglia call into question the accuracy of the IPCC data.” [C-SPAN Video, 12/8/09]

Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX-02): “The consensus has been for some time that global warming, climate change, continues because man is the perpetrator. Now we are beginning to learn that may not be true, that there is not a consensus that there is global warming or climate change. We now have heard about Climategate, where the expert scientists hid emails in England that disagreed with the so-called consensus that there is global warming and global climate change. We have heard now new evidence that even NASA is involved in not revealing evidence that contradicts climate change.” [Congressional Record, 12/15/09]

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX-21): “Contrary to the claims of those who want to strictly regulate carbon dioxide emissions and increase the cost of energy for all Americans, there is a great amount of uncertainty associated with climate science. These uncertainties undermine our ability to accurately determine how carbon dioxide has affected the climate in the past. They also limit our understanding of how anthropogenic emissions will affect future warming trends. Further confusing the policy debate, the models that scientists have come to rely on to make climate predictions have greatly overestimated warming. Contrary to model predictions, data released in October from the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit show that global temperatures have held steady over the past 15 years, despite rising greenhouse gas emissions. Among the facts that are clear, however, are that U.S. emissions contribute very little to global concentrations of greenhouse gas, and that even substantial cuts in these emissions are likely to have no effect on temperature.” [Smith Op-Ed, 5/19/13]

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX-13): “Any decisions we make should be based on sound science rather than political, social or personal profit agendas. No computer model yet has correctly predicted the Earth’s actual temperatures. We simply do not understand enough about the causes and effects related to our weather.” [USA Today, 8/10/11]

Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX-14): “I may want to get your cell phone, because if we go through cycles of global warming and then back to global cooling, I need to know when to buy my long coat on sale. I just don’t know how y’all prove those hypotheses going back fifty, hundred, what you might say is thousands if not millions of years, and then postulate those forward.” [March 26, 2014, Science Committee hearing via Huffington Post, 6/26/14]

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX): “Taxpayer funded research by NASA and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) concerning the warmest years on record has been the subject of dispute and after challenges, has been changed and re-released. What is less known is why the changes were made and what inherent flaws existed in the original data, if any. It is important to understand the reasons behind these alterations and further to avoid suspicion that data was massaged to fit the prescribed theory that global warming is attributable to man-made greenhouse gas emissions.” [Cornyn, 12/16/09]

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): “The last 15 years, there has been no recorded warming. Contrary to all the theories that they are expounding, there should have been warming over the last 15 years. It hasn’t happened … You know, back in the ’70s — I remember the ’70s, we were told there was global cooling. And everyone was told global cooling was a really big problem. And then that faded.” [New Republic, 11/6/14]

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UTAH

Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT-01): “Despite the fact that scientific data underlying the studies of global warming appear to have been manipulated to produce an intended outcome, EPA officials disregarded the contaminated science, calling it little more than a ‘blip on the history of this process.’” [Bishop, 12/8/09]

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT-03): “Is our air and is our quality of life affected by what we throw into the air and in the water? Yes, of course, but the Al Gore defined global warming is a farce, it is.” [Mother Jones, 10/28/14]

Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT-02): “The science regarding climate change is anything but settled.” [St. Louis Tribune, 4/13/13]

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT): “There is also some disagreement among scientists as to whether global warming — regardless of its cause — would result in a net benefit or detriment to life on earth. Scientific studies demonstrate overwhelmingly that humans tend to fare better during warming spells than periods of cooling.” [Hatch Website]

VIRGINIA

Rep. David Brat (R-VA-07): “If you let Americans do their thing, there is no scarcity, right? They said we’re going to run out of food 200 years ago, that we’re goin’ to have an ice age. Now we’re heating up … Of course we care for the environment, but we’re not mad people. Over time, rich countries solve their problems. We get it right. It’s not all perfect, but we get it right.” [Mother Jones, 6/11/14]

Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA-04): “Elected officials need to depend on experts in the field to make determinations on the degree to which our planet is warming, and there is evidence among scientists and researchers pointing in both directions.” [Times Dispatch, 7/4/10]

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-06): “There is no doubt that the earth’s climate is changing. The earth and its climate are dynamic, and have changed throughout history even without human activity. We have reached a point where some experts concur that the earth is once again warming. Regardless of the reason, the debate over climate change should remind us that we should be good stewards of our planet.” [Times Dispatch, 7/4/10]

Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09): “In regard to radiant heat, the Sun spot effects, what do we know about that? I was reading one report here that indicates that by 2020 we will reach a new peak on Sun spot activity, and this report actually suggests that the Earth’s temperature may be raised by .5 degrees Centigrade as a result of the Sun spot activity. And could that also be the cause.” [Climate Science and EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulations Hearing, 3/8/11]

Rep. Robert Hurt (R-VA-05): Hurt said Climategate is “scientists who have given us something that is not true. It is faulty information and it has real consequences in the 5th District, in the loss of jobs and in power bills from Appalachian Power Co.” [Daily Progress, 2/28/10]

Rep. Scott Rigell (R-VA-02): According to the Virginian-Pilot voter guide, Rigell “does not believe that climate change is caused by human actions.” [Hampton Roads, 6/3/10]

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA-01): “[A]s a scientist myself, I recognize that the earth’s climate is changing.” But these climate “cycles of heating and cooling have been going on well before man appeared on Earth.” [Daily Press, 4/12/13]

WASHINGTON

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05): “We believe Al Gore deserves an ‘F’ in science and an ‘A’ in creative writing.” [Whitman Pioneer, 4/9/09]

WEST VIRGINIA

Rep. David McKinley (R-WV-01): “Many scientists have disavowed past climate change research, McKinley said, and he’s waiting for valid science to convince him there’s a problem and whether man is to blame … ”I don’t want to listen to Al Gore tell me from a political standpoint that global warming is caused by man because I don’t think he can support it.’” [Associated Press, 10/20/10]

Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV-02): According to the Charleston Gazette, “Mooney also said he doesn’t believe that the science on climate change is settled, despite a vast majority of scientists who believe that man-made global warming is real.” [Charleston Gazette, 7/24/14]

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): “I don’t necessarily think the climate’s changing, no.” [Huffington Post, 10/8/14]

WISCONSIN

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI-06): “This environmental stuff, this is the idea that is driven by this global warming thing. Global warming is not man-made and there is barely any global warming at all, there’s been no global warming for the last twelve or thirteen years. I see a shortage of Republicans stepping up to the plate and saying, ‘look, this global warming stuff is not going on.’ It’s ridiculous for the United States, of all the countries in the world, to be putting extra regulations on our business while the Chinese, the Indians, whatever are building new factories all the time while our factories are stuck saying, ‘you can’t do this, you can’t do this,’ because you’ve got to reign in this global warming which doesn’t exist anyway.” [Right Wing Watch, 8/25/14]

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI-01): When asked about humans’ role in climate change during a 2014 debate Ryan responded, “I don’t know the answer to that question. I don’t think science does either.” [ThinkProgress, 10/14/14]

Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI-05): “I think that the science is inconclusive on this … I personally believe that the solar flares are more responsible for climatic cycles than anything that human beings do and our lunar, our rovers on Mars have indicated that there has been a slight warming in the atmosphere of Mars and that certainly was not caused by the internal combustion engine.” [Sensenbrenner Website]

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): “I absolutely do not believe in the science of man-caused climate change … It’s not proven by any stretch of the imagination. It’s far more likely that it’s sunspot activity or just something in the geologic eons of time.” [Journal Sentinel]

WYOMING

Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY-At Large): “We’re just beginning to explore what mankind’s role is in climate change, so I’d argue that the jury’s still out.” [WyoFile, 11/5/12]

Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY): “When Barrasso was in college and medical school, he said, the ‘best science at the time said that the Ice Age is coming.’ He referred to articles from Newsweek, the New York Times and Time magazine from 1974 and 1975 about the ‘global cooling’ phenomenon. One of the articles said a major cooling of the climate is widely considered inevitable. ‘It’s fascinating to see the changes in the science,’ Barrasso said. ‘Not that long ago, all the science was pointing in another direction. So all I’m saying is, how much of the wealth of this nation are we going to put at risk for something that may be poorly spent money?’” [E&E Daily, 7/16/09]

Mike Enzi (R-WY): “I barely made it back here because of a May snowstorm in Wyoming. They got 18 inches in Cheyenne. It’s a little hard to convince Wyoming people there’s global warming. We have 186% of normal snow pack. That’s global warming?” [Wyoming Public Radio, 5/16/14]

Tiffany Germain is the research manager for the ThinkProgress War Room at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Kristen Ellingboe, Ryan Koronowski, Jeff Spross and Kiley Kroh contributed to this research.
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