Washington, D.C. -Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to curtail the Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to curb greenhouse gas emissions:
“Today’s radical decision by Republican appointees on the Supreme Court will have catastrophic consequences for our nation and our planet. From droughts and wildfires to flooding and severe weather, our country is already experiencing the impacts of climate change because of the fossil fuel industry’s greed and Republican politicians’ efforts to block climate action. The Supreme Court’s scorched-earth decision will have implications for generations to come. I will continue to fight tooth and nail to advance solutions to address the climate crisis and to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for fueling the climate crisis."
Chairwoman Maloney has made tackling the climate crisis a priority of the Committee. On Sept. 16, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney and Rep. Ro Khanna, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Environment, launched an investigation into the fossil fuel industry’s long history of climate disinformation.
On Oct. 28, 2021, the Committee held a historic hearing in which top fossil fuel and industry executives testified together under oath for the first time about their companies’ roles in causing the climate crisis and disinformation campaign to cover it up. During this hearing, the Committee released a memo showing how the fossil fuel industry’s public praise for climate policies is not backed by meaningful action.
On February 8, 2022, the Committee held a second hearing where experts testified that Big Oil’s investments in renewable energy are woefully insufficient to address our fossil fuel dependence and the deepening climate crisis.
On April 4, 2022, the Committee released a letter showing that the fossil fuel industry is spending far more money on stock buybacks and dividends to enrich investors than on investments to reduce emissions.
