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(Bill Sternberg is a veteran Washington journalist and former editorial page editor of USA Today.)
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (Callaway Climate Insights) — What explains Congress’ fondness for fossil fuels and hostility toward green energy?
The most significant factor is political ideology. In today’s Trump-dominated Republican Party, the MAGA base regards human-caused climate change as a hoax. Oil, natural gas and coal are mighty. Wind and solar are for sissies. Last summer, when the GOP-controlled Congress passed the big bill that wiped out hundreds of billions of dollars in clean-energy incentives, all Democrats voted against it and all but five Republicans voted for it.
Another major influence is campaign contributions. It takes a lot of money to run for office, and fossil fuel donations dwarf those from environmental interests. In the 2023-24 election cycle, oil and gas interests contributed just shy of $250 million to federal candidates, about 12 times more than clean-energy interests, according to OpenSecrets.
But is there a third factor at work — lawmakers voting their personal portfolios?