About 30 Senate Democrats, including all four members of the Democratic leadership, plan to take to the Senate floor for an all-night “talk-a-thon” on climate change, starting at 7 p.m. Monday. Led by Democratic Sens. Brian Schatz and Barbara Boxer of California, the event is an effort to raise awareness of the issue and bolster support for the White House’s push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by regulating power plants, among other measures. The president’s climate policies have come under harsh criticism from Republicans, who have accused the White House of “waging a war on coal.”
The event is not a formal filibuster, since Democrats are not discussing any specific legislation, but they plan to hold the floor from the completion of voting on Monday until regular Senate business resumes on Tuesday morning at 9, according to a statement from Sen. Schatz’s office. One member of the task force, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D.-R.I.) has given 60 floor speeches on climate change since his election in 2006.
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“Climate change is real, it is caused by humans, and it is solvable,” said Senator Schatz in a statement. “Congress must act. On Monday night we’re going to show the growing number of Senators who are committed to working together to confront climate change.”
"The cost of Congress' inaction on climate change is too high for our communities, our kids and grandkids, and our economy,” Senator Whitehouse said. “On Monday we’ll be sending a clear message: it’s time for Congress to wake up and get serious about addressing this issue.”
Top 4 members of Senate leadership (@SenatorReid, @SenatorDurbin, @SenSchumer + @PattyMurray) will participate in #climatechange session.
— Anthony Adragna (@AnthonyAdragna) March 10, 2014
Democrats are highlighting the issue at a time when many Republicans have been expressing their doubt that manmade climate change is a reality, despite the scientific consensus on the issue. According to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.-K.Y.), who is running for reelection in what is expected to be a close race, scientists are still divided on the causation of global warming. "For everybody who thinks it's warming, I can find somebody who thinks it isn't," McConnell told the Cincinnatti Enquirer over the weekend.
McConnell has criticized the Obama administration’s environmental policies, saying they're hostile to the coal industry, which has a significant presence in his state.
The upcoming 2014 midterm elections may explain why some Democrats are staying away from the talk-a-thon. For example, Democratic Sen. Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana is not expected to take part in the event, and she has been vocal in her support of the Keystone XL pipeline, which many environmentalists are fighting against. The pipeline would deliver oil from the Canadian oil sands in Alberta to the refineries along the Gulf of Mexico, where most of it would be exported to foreign markets. Opponents say it would increase greenhouse gas emissions and pose risks to public and environmental health, and they are pressuring the White House to reject the project.
Other Democrats in tight races, including Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Kay Hagan of North Carolina, are also missing from the list of expected speakers.
The Senate Climate Action Task Force is coordinating the effort. You can follow the event using the hashtag #Up4climate.