Merkley, Wyden join bid to overturn Trump climate order

Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined more than 30 fellow Democratic senators Wednesday to introduce legislation that would rescind President Trump’s executive order, signed Tuesday, which they said aims to reverse several landmark U.S. initiatives to combat climate change.

“Climate change is causing great destruction to our rural resources — our fishing, our forests, and our farming,” said Merkley. “The damage is accelerating, making it an economic and moral imperative that we quickly transform our energy economy from fossil fuels to clean and renewable energy. Turning our back now on the huge progress we’ve made in recent years would be a disastrous mistake. We need to keep moving forward and fighting for the clean air and healthy economy our communities deserve.”

“Tackling climate change head-on represents one of the biggest and most urgent challenges facing us and generations to come,” said Wyden. “I will fight the administration’s anti-environment agenda because this ill-conceived scheme will only boost special interests while endangering clean air, clean water and public health. And I will keep working to support trailblazing efforts like Oregon’s that look to the future by increasing renewable energy production and clean energy jobs.”

The bill, titled the Clean Air Healthy Kids Act, would block federal agencies from implementing the actions outlined in the executive order signed Tuesday by President Trump.

These actions include reopening coal leasing on federal public lands and reevaluating the Clean Power Plan, which the lawmakers said is currently on track to provide $54 billion in climate and health benefits each year, prevent thousands of premature deaths and asthma attacks in children, reduce electricity bills for homes and businesses, and create thousands of good-paying jobs.

In addition to Merkley and Wyden, the following senators cosponsored this legislation:

Michael Bennet (D-CO)

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

Cory Booker (D-NJ)

Ben Cardin (D-MD)

Tom Carper (D-DE)

Chris Coons (D-DE)

Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)

Dick Durbin (D-IL)

Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

Al Franken (D-MN)

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

Kamala Harris (D-CA)

Maggie Hassan (D-NH)

Martin Heinrich (D-NM)

Mazie Hirono (D-HI)

Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

Edward Markey (D-MA)

Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

Chris Murphy (D-CT)

Patty Murray (D-WA)

Bill Nelson (D-FL)

Jack Reed (D-RI)

Bernie Sanders (D-VT)

Brian Schatz (D-HI)

Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)

Tom Udall (D-NM)

Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)