By Rachel Frazin - 07/18/24

A total of 123 members of the House and Senate deny the scientific consensus that climate change is occurring as a result of human activity, according to an analysis from the liberal Center for American Progress.

In a new report, first shared with The Hill, analyzing public statements made by lawmakers, the think tank determined these climate deniers are all Republicans and include prominent members of House leadership.

It defined climate deniers as lawmakers who say any of the following: climate change is not real, it is not primarily caused by humans, the science is not settled on climate change, extreme weather is not caused by climate change, or climate change is actually beneficial.

The report does not consider lawmakers who acknowledge that climate change is real but oppose climate actions to be deniers.

While the 123 members identified in the report are a significant contingent, they also represent a steady decline from the past several years, down from 180 in the 115th Congress. The last Congress saw 139 climate deniers.

However, Trevor Higgins, the Center for American Progress’s senior vice president for energy and environment, said it’s still “concerning that there are 123 members of Congress who still …question the validity of the scientific consensus that our burning fossil fuels is causing the planet to warm.”

“It’s also concerning because it’s so obvious what the facts are, and to watch so many members of Congress pretend that the science is not settled, it just reveals a willingness to disregard truth,” Higgins said.

Several of the members identified in the report hold key positions in Republican leadership or on committees.

The Center identified both House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) as among the deniers.

Their analysis also listed members who hold key positions with influence over climate and environment policy such as House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) as well as Reps. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) and Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who are all top Republicans on subcommittees in charge of funding either the Environmental Protection Agency and Interior Department or the Energy Department.

Spokespeople for these lawmakers did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

The report also found the lawmakers who deny climate science have together received $52 million in lifetime campaign donations from the fossil fuel industry.

Of the 123 identified senators and congresspeople, 90 have also denied the results of the 2020 election the report found.

Yet Higgins noted that just because a lawmaker acknowledges climate science does not necessarily mean that drives them to support climate action.

“There actually are a number of members of Congress who now say that they are willing to accept scientific findings, but they still oppose climate action,” he said.

Human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, is driving climate change, which causes more frequent and intense storms.