Climate Solutions Caucus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Co-Chairs | Andrew Garbarino (R) Chrissy Houlahan (D) |
| Founded | February 8, 2016; 10 years ago (2016-02-08) |
| Ideology | Centrism[1] |
| Political position | Center[2] |
| Seats in theHouse Democratic Caucus | 29 / 212 |
| Seats in theHouse Republican Caucus | 29 / 222 |
| Seats in theHouse | 64 / 434 |
| Seats in theSenate Democratic Caucus | 7 / 51 |
| Seats in theSenate Republican Caucus | 6 / 49 |
| Seats in theSenate | 13 / 100 |
| Website | |
| climatesolutionscaucus-garbarino | |
TheClimate Solutions Caucus is a bipartisan caucus of U.S. legislators supported by theCitizens' Climate Lobby whose members work to achieve action addressing the risks fromclimate change. TheHouse of Representatives andSenate each have a caucus.[3] The House caucus was founded in February 2016, during the114th Congress, by representativesCarlos Curbelo (R-FL) andTed Deutch (D-FL).[3] The Senate Caucus was founded in 2019 by senatorsMike Braun (R-IN) andChris Coons (D-DE).[4]
On November 27, 2018, House caucus membersTed Deutch (D-FL),Francis Rooney (R-FL),Charlie Crist (D-FL),Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), andJohn Delaney (D-MD) introduced theEnergy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (HR 763), which would implement a nationalcarbon fee and dividend.[5] It had also been introduced in the Senate in 2018 as S. 3791.
The 2018 midterm elections illustrated a growing partisan divide over climate, and one third of incumbent Republican members of the Caucus, including co-chair Curbelo, lost their seats.[6] One study concluded that this showed limited value for GOP members in pursuing bipartisan climate action.[7]
The House caucus went partially dormant after the 2018 elections, relaunching in 2023 with leadersAndrew Garbarino andChrissy Houlahan.[6]
The House caucus web site describes the caucus as "working together to combat climate change while also protecting the economic prosperity of the United States. This is a group dedicated to building a constructive dialogue about climate change, economics, energy, and conservation among members of Congress, global leaders, environmental organizations, and business leaders."[8]
Membership of the caucus is restricted to consist of equal representation ofRepublicans andDemocrats.[9] After the2018 United States House of Representatives elections for the 116th Congress this rule was loosened,[10] but strict balance was restored again in 2023 in the 118th Congress.[6] In the118th Congress, the 66 members were as follows:[3][11]
The Senate Climate Solutions Caucus was announced by senatorsMike Braun (R-IN) andChris Coons (D-DE) on October 23, 2019.[12] The two Senators wrote in an op-ed announcing the caucus:
Today, we are launching the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, a bipartisan group of senators who, like the Americans we serve, believe Congress should play a central role in guiding America's 21st century energy economy and addressing the challenge of a changing climate. Our caucus seeks to take the politics out of this important issue. Instead, members will commit to an honest dialogue, through which we can develop solutions that solidify American environmental leadership, promote American workers, and make meaningful progress on protecting our environment.[13]
The Climate Solutions Caucus in the Senate is bi-partisan, the rules of the caucus require that new members may only join with a member of the opposite party to ensure that the number of Democrats and Republicans stays the same. All actions by the caucus require unanimous agreement among the members.The caucus membership for the 116th Congress is as follows (independentAngus King (I-ME) caucuses with the Democrats):
| Name | Party | State |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Braun (co-chair) | Republican | Indiana |
| Chris Coons (co-chair) | Democratic | Delaware |
| Angus King | Independent | Maine |
| Debbie Stabenow | Democratic | Michigan |
| Jeanne Shaheen | Democratic | New Hampshire |
| Lindsey Graham | Republican | South Carolina |
| Lisa Murkowski | Republican | Alaska |
| Marco Rubio | Republican | Florida |
| Mitt Romney | Republican | Utah |
| Michael Bennet | Democratic | Colorado |
| Susan Collins | Republican | Maine |
| Tammy Baldwin | Democratic | Wisconsin |
| Jacky Rosen | Democratic | Nevada |