Phil Ammann
After 100 days of the 114th Congress, where Republicans control the Senate, three GOP senators, each presidential hopefuls — including Marco Rubio – have begun White House bids.
As the campaign trail heats up, NextGen Climate scrutinized Rubio’s record on environmental issues, as well as that of recently announced presidential candidates Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky.
What the progressive activist group discovered was the trio of conservative lawmakers consistently failed to stand up for basic science, clean energy jobs, and against foreign oil interests.
In a statement on Wednesday, NextGen Climate issued a warning against leaders like Rubio, who regularly vote against environmental issues such as climate change:
“Voters in this country want a leader who will fight climate change, build a clean energy economy — and stand up to polluting special interests. Instead, even as they promise to fight for America’s families … politicians are showing their true colors in the Senate by siding — time and time again — with the polluters who would sacrifice the health of our kids to pad their own bottom lines.”
While Rubio ramps up his presidential ambitions, NextGen calls for the Florida senator to break with his powerful donors, put forth plans to create clean energy jobs and directly tackle climate change.
In the NextGen statement were several news clips blasting Rubio, Cruz and Paul for their records on environmental issues, including a Jan. 15 New York Times article calling out Rubio for rejecting a Senate measure declaring that humans are causing climate change during a debate on a bill forcing approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
The group also noted how Rubio voted to end wind production tax credits, an industry that supports thousands of jobs. The New Republic called the vote something closely watched by business executives and politicians.
“Any candidate standing against it risks losing support in Iowa,” it said.
