WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new proposal from Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), and their fossil fuel industry allies aims to limit accountability for the world’s biggest polluters. The proposed legislation, introduced alongside several Senate and House allies, would stop states from seeking remedies from fossil fuel companies and other major emitters. States are well within their legal rights to pursue judicial or legislative remedies to protect their citizens from the escalating impacts of climate change.  

Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund warned that the bill would have serious consequences for frontline communities across the nation, including:

• Undermining states’ rights to pursue climate accountability cases
• Blocking local governments from recovering damages tied to climate-related impacts
• Shifting billions of dollars in climate-related costs onto working families
• Eroding longstanding legal rights of states and local governments
• Interfering with judicial independence by preempting legitimate claims
• Protecting corporate polluters at the expense of taxpayers and public health

In response, CCAN Action Fund issued the following statement today:

“Senator Cruz and Rep. Hageman’s bill is a gift-wrapped payoff to the biggest oil and gas polluters. It is a direct attack on the ability of states like Maryland and Virginia to protect their residents from the exponential costs of climate change. This proposal would tie the hands of communities seeking accountability from fossil fuel companies that knowingly fueled the climate crisis,” said Quentin Scott, Federal Policy Director for CCAN Action Fund. “This proposed bill is not about fairness or legal reform — it’s about shielding polluters from accountability at the exact moment communities across the country are demanding justice for climate damages.

“Communities across the country are living with the real-world impacts of climate pollution every day. This bill would eliminate the only tools communities have to hold powerful corporations accountable for their harms and seek compensation. Taxpayers should not be left holding the bill while corporate polluters walk away with record profits. Instead of protecting Big Oil and Big Polluters, Congress should be focused on lowering energy costs through clean energy investments. CCAN Action Fund urges lawmakers to reject this dangerous proposal.”

# # #

Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund is dedicated to driving change in public policies at the local, state, and national levels to address the climate crisis. Through voter education, lobbying, and participation in the electoral process, we seek to advance our country’s leadership in the global movement toward clean energy solutions, focusing our efforts primarily in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. We know that a vibrant democracy is central to our success, so we work to defend democratic integrity wherever we can.