Climate "Solutions" Caucus Loses Republican Founder, Nearly 1/2 Of Its GOP Members

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At the start of the new Congress in January 2019, the number of Republican members of the climate caucus will decrease to 24, a 47 percent percent decline in its GOP membership numbers. The caucus currently boasts 90 members, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats.

No Democratic members of the climate caucus lost their reelection bids, although two Democratic members are retiring and one is running for a higher office. Democratic membership in the caucus will decrease from 45 to 42, effective January. A total of 13 of Republican members of the climate caucus lost their reelection bids, according to current election results. Seven Republican members of the caucus are retiring at the end of their current terms. One Republican member — Mark Sanford (R-SC) — lost his bid for the Republican nomination for his district.

A long list of Democrats are waiting to join the caucus. Many of the Democrats who defeated Republicans on Tuesday are climate champions, but they will not be permitted to join at this time. The caucus won’t add any new Democrats until the numbers reach parity again, according to the rules.


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In 2015, Curbelo voted for the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, which would automatically approved the tar sands pipeline project. That same year, Curbelo also voted for a bill, the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act, which would expedite liquefied natural gas export applications. More recently, in July, Curbelo introduced the Market Choice Act, a climate bill that would put a price on carbon. Last month, though, Curbelo, drew criticism for using language often employed by climate deniers to diminish the arguments of climate activists. In a tweet, he labeled people who want to discuss the connection between Hurricane Michael and climate change as “alarmists.” “We targeted Curbelo specifically because he was perceived as a Republican voice of reason on climate even as he criticized ‘alarmists’ on hurricanes wreaking havoc on his state,” R.L. Miller, president of Climate Hawks Vote and a frequent critic of the caucus, said Wednesday in a statement.


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https://thinkprogress.org/house-climate-caucus-loses-its-republican-co-founder-and-almost-half-its-gop-members-53bf7307c191/

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