Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement in opposition to President Trump’s order to overturn federal action on climate change:

“The president may think it’s a hoax, but millions of Americans are already feeling the effects of climate change. California is coming out of a historic drought and devastating wildfire season made worse by global warming. Failure to act now will increase the frequency and severity of this sort of disaster.

“President Trump has already announced his intention to defund climate change research and roll back successful vehicle pollution standards. He now seeks to reverse carbon pollution standards for power plants and order federal agencies to stop planning around climate change.

Ignoring the threat of climate change will harm our economy. More than half of all new electricity generation added to the grid is renewable, and more than three million people are now employed in green jobs. The president’s order will leave the United States far behind our competitors in developing new, cleaner fuel sources.

“The overwhelming scientific consensus is that climate change is real and manmade. The White House and congressional Republicans need to accept that fact. Republican leaders shouldn’t be trying to undermine the progress we’ve made in order to satisfy their ideological aversion to reality.”

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