Blumenthal, Colleagues Release Disturbing Report on How Special Interests Have Blocked Climate Action in the Courts

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), today released an extensive report detailing the process by which the powerful and the privileged have captured America’s judicial courts—and the detrimental impacts that manipulation has already unleashed on efforts to rein in pollution and stop the acceleration of climate chaos.

The report comes as Republicans try to ram through the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a jurist in the same extremist mold. During her confirmation hearings this week, Barrett stated that she does not have “firm views” on the science of climate change or whether human activity is responsible for the changing climate. If confirmed to the Court, Barrett could potentially cast the deciding vote on future climate regulations or legislation.

“No coincidence that Supreme Court nominee Barrett refused to answer my climate change questions — when the groups backing her include Big Oil and other huge polluters,” said Blumenthal. “Using dark money, these special interests have been relentlessly reshaping federal courts at every level. Today’s report documents how they’ve polluted democracy, not just our air and water. The American people should be outraged, and scared — and ready to fight back.”

On the third day of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court, Blumenthal pressed Barrett for her opinion on climate change.

Blumenthal: “Do you believe that human beings cause global warming?”

Barrett: “Well, Senator Blumenthal, I don't think I am competent to opine on what causes global warming or not, so I don't really want to offer – ”

Blumenthal: “Well we all have views on it, I’m asking for your opinion.”

Barrett: “I don't think my views on global warming or climate change are relevant to the job I would do as a judge nor do I feel like I have views that are informed enough and I haven't studied scientific data. I'm not really in a position to offer any kind of informed opinion on what I think causes global warming.”

Despite living in the richest country in the history of the world, millions of Americans are living without clean air and water. Millions more are at risk of losing their homes or livelihoods as their communities face more frequent and extreme weather events, including wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, heat waves, and severe winter storms. Analysis after analysis shows that communities of color—particularly Black, Brown and Indigenous communities—are bearing the brunt of these escalating emergencies, which show no sign of stopping as climate chaos continues to spiral out of control.

While the majority of Americans say the federal government is not doing enough to protect the climate and environment, polluters and corporate special interests have spent years working through the Republican Party to fill judicial vacancies with anti-regulation, corporatist judges. Those powerful special interests and the inexperienced, young, and partisan extremist judges they’ve handpicked for Republican-backed nominations have worked to mainstream extreme legal doctrines that make it hard for Congress and federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency to do their jobs to address the climate crisis.

The full report is available here.

Blumenthal, Merkley, Whitehouse, and Stabenow were joined in today’s release by U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

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