roosevelt conservation cauc

ntbcw conserv partnership

dereg nation 719

not 1st try

good? Republicans in Congress form an environmental caucus

Some House and Senate Republican lawmakers have formed a new ad hoc group within Congress, the “Roosevelt Conservation Coalition,” to “embrace and promote constructive efforts to address environmental problems, responsibly plan for all market factors, and base policy decisions on science and quantifiable facts.”

“Unleashing solutions that enhance and protect our environment are essential to ensuring economic growth, energy independence, and national security,” said South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham in a statement announcing the coalition.

The “Roosevelt” moniker is a 100-year callback to President Theodore Roosevelt, a conservation advocate who championed the creation of Yellowstone National Park, along with scores of wildlife refuges across the country.

(It’s worth recalling that Republican Party positions of 1900 were much like those of today’s Democratic Party, with few points of resemblance to the contemporary GOP.)

Is this a good-faith effort “to strengthen conservation programs, promote public health, defend our environment, keep our air clean and protect our waterways,” as Congressman Brian Mast (R-Florida) said in the statement?

The fact that the words “climate change” do not appear anywhere in the coalition’s statement does not inspire confidence.

But the reference to “national security” could be read as subtle push-back against the White House’s resistance to recognizing climate risks to national security.

==