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Michael Grimm (politician) - Wikipedia
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Michael Gerard Grimm (born February 7, 1970)[1] is an American former politician who represented New York in the United States Congress from 2011 to 2015, when he was convicted of tax fraud and resigned from Congress. Grimm represented New York's 13th congressional district during his first term, after which he represented New York's 11th congressional district. Both districts consisted of Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn. Grimm is a member of the Republican Party; during his time in office was the sole Republican to represent a significant portion of New York City.
On April 28, 2014, Grimm was charged by federal authorities with 20 counts of fraud, federal tax evasion, and perjury.[2] On December 23, 2014, he pleaded guilty to a single count of felony tax fraud, and "acknowledged committing perjury, hiring illegal immigrants, and committing wire fraud".[3] After initially vowing to retain his seat, Grimm announced on December 30, 2014, that he would resign from Congress effective January 5, 2015.[4] On May 5, 2015, Daniel M. Donovan Jr. won the special election to replace Grimm. On July 17, 2015, Grimm was sentenced to eight months in prison for tax evasion.[5] He began his prison term on September 22, 2015, after a brief delay for medical treatments.[6]
On October 1, 2017, Grimm launched a campaign to attempt to win back his old House seat in the 11th district. On June 26, 2018, he lost in the Republican primary.[7][8]
Early life and education
Grimm was raised as a Catholic in Queens, New York, the son of Petrina (née Castronova) and Gerard Grimm. He is of German, Irish, and Sicilian descent.[9] He graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School in 1988.[10]
Grimm entered active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1989. He received a combat promotion to corporal,[11] and was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, among other awards.[citation needed]
Grimm received a BBA in accounting from Baruch College in 1994. He transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and was discharged from service in 1997.[11] He received a Juris Doctor (magna cum laude) from New York Law School in 2002.[12]
Career
Federal Bureau of Investigation (1991–2006)
Grimm entered the FBI as a clerk in 1991. In 1995, he entered the FBI Academy in Quantico Station, Virginia. He graduated as a special agent and was certified to become an undercover agent. He transitioned into undercover agent work, eventually working in the FBI Gambino Squad, and was assigned to the inside activities of Peter Gotti, John Gotti's brother.[13] Grimm worked for the FBI as an agent for nine years.
In 2011, Evan Ratliff, writing for The New Yorker, reported that Grimm had been the subject of an internal investigation into allegations that he abused his authority as an FBI agent in a nightclub in 1999.[14][15] At the time of theNew Yorker report, the New York City Police Department and U.S. Justice Department had not released documents regarding the alleged incident. Grimm stated that the incident had been fully investigated and that he had been cleared of all allegations.[16][17]
During his time with the FBI, Grimm spent two years posing as a small-cap stockbroker, uncovering white-collar criminals on Wall Street.[13] According to Grimm, the firm was involved in money laundering, making false trades, and manipulating stocks.[18] After building a strong case for two years, he and the firm's partners were arrested together, at which point the police informed the group that they had been infiltrated by an undercover agent.[18] Grimm stated in 2011 that he has long been aware of the possibility that people may try to take revenge on him.[19] He left the FBI in 2006, citing his exhaustion from working long hours.[20]
Business and finance (2006–2010)
Before joining the FBI, Grimm worked for a year for Whale Securities,[21] an investment banking firm.[22] Shortly before leaving the bureau, Grimm invested in a luxury Texas development.[21]
In 2006, Grimm founded a small health food restaurant in Manhattan called Healthalicious.[23] He co-owned and served as principal and chief executive officer of Austin Refuel Transport, an Austin, Texas-based bio-fuel company.[24] As of 2011, Grimm owned 28% of the company, although he is no longer involved in daily operations nor is he CEO. In July 2011, the New York Daily News reported that Austin Refuel Transport had received 11 safety violations in two U.S. Department of Transportation checkups.[25] Grimm's spokesman said that he now "has no authority or managerial role in the daily activities of the company. He is simply a silent investor."[25]
U.S. House of Representatives (2011–2015)
Grimm greets spectators on Memorial Day
Elections
2010
See also: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in New York § District 13*
Grimm launched his campaign for the 13th New York Congressional District seat on January 23, 2010.[26] He was endorsed by former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani as well as Guy Molinari, a former U.S. Representative and Staten Island Borough President.[27] He was also endorsed by the Conservative Party of New York State. He was challenged by Michael Allegretti who was endorsed by former six-term U.S. Representative Vito Fossella, the Staten Island Republican Party,[28] State Senator Andrew Lanza, and State Assemblyman Lou Tobacco.[29] Allegretti worked for the nonprofit Climate Group and cited his relationships with NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.[30] Grimm chose not to contest the Staten Island's party endorsement because of their "corrupt political culture" and "sham convention."[31]
Grimm's primary win was divisive for the Republican Party leadership, which favored Allegretti.[32] His campaign gained national attention from the Tea Party and the National Republican Congressional Committee, which contributed $90,000 to Grimm's campaign.[citation needed] He received endorsements from high-profile Republicans, including Giuliani,[33] John McCain, Sarah Palin,[34] and former President George H. W. Bush, who applauded his service in the Gulf War.[35]
Grimm faced incumbent Michael McMahon in the general election. On October 12, the Staten Island Advance reported that it had been receiving emails from the McMahon campaign attacking Grimm's business credentials.[36] Grimm reportedly admitted in an interview with the Staten Island Advance that his former restaurant in Manhattan, Healthalicious, had been on the verge of bankruptcy, forcing him to sell his stake in it.[20] A major difference between the two candidates was the issue of the U.S. economic stimulus package, which the Advance called the "starkest contrast" among the two candidates. Grimm stated that the stimulus was a "huge waste" of taxpayer money and ineffective in generating job creation and economic recovery, whereas McMahon cited improvements in the state budget and renovations on the Staten Island Expressway and the Saint George Ferry Terminal as direct successes of the stimulus.[37]
On November 2, 2010, Grimm defeated McMahon in the race, 51% to 48%. The Advance reported that Grimm won in large part due to his political signs, which became popular among his supporters. They stated, "McMahon raised my property taxes 18.5%".[38]
2012
See also: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in New York § District 11
After redistricting, Grimm's district was renumbered the 11th District.[39] He was challenged by Democrat Mark Murphy, a former aide to New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. Grimm won reelection to a second term, 53%–46%.[40]
2014
See also: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in New York § District 11
In 2014 Grimm received the backing of the Staten Island Republican party and the Independence Party, who called him "'a truly independent voice' for his constituents."[41] He faced Democratic Party nominee Domenic Recchia in the general election. Grimm was endorsed by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the United Transportation Union, and the Humane Society Legislative Fund.[42][43] Grimm defeated Recchia on election night, November 5, 2014.[44]
2018
See also: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New York § District 11
On October 1, 2017, Grimm launched a campaign for reelection to his old House seat in New York's 11th District.[7][8] On May 30, 2018, President Donald Trump endorsed incumbent Representative Dan Donovan.[45] Donovan defeated Grimm in the June 26 Republican primary, 63.9% to 36.1%.[46]
Tenure
During a Sean Hannity interview of all freshmen Republican members, Representative-Elect Grimm took exception to being asked if he was a conservative. He replied that he was "American first" and that "we have become way too polarized," indicating a desire for compromise with Democrats.[47] Grimm did not join the Tea Party Caucus in the House, instead joining the more moderate Republican Main Street Partnership.[48]
Fiscal issues
Grimm was appointed to the House Financial Services Committee, which the Staten Island Advance considered a major opportunity for Grimm to influence the debate on financial reform. Roughly 70,000 of his constituents were involved in financial services, making this a vital issue for his political profile.[49]
Grimm introduced legislation that would prohibit potential whistle-blowers from receiving a cash reward from the Securities and Exchange Commission unless they report wrongdoing to their employers before reporting it to the SEC.[50]
Grimm voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill that permanently extended most of the Bush tax cuts.[51]
Gun control
After the 2011 Tucson shooting, Grimm voiced support for "security-based situational awareness training", including how to spot suspicious people, when to run for an exit, and how to keep guards at close range. Grimm also said congressmen should consider carrying firearms. House Leader John Boehner called his suggestions an "excellent idea" and indicated that security would be a major focus for Congress in 2011.[52]
Abortion
Grimm voted in favor of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, a bill banning abortions after the 20th week of fertilization.[53]
Healthcare
Grimm voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the House, as he had promised during his campaign.[54] He was called "hypocritical" by several Democrats for enrolling in the congressional health-care plan.[55][56]
Immigration
Grimm has expressed support for immigration reform[57] and was one of six Republicans to vote against an amendment that would have resumed deportation of "Dreamers".[58]
Israel
Grimm was appointed to the House Republican Israel Caucus in January 2011, serving as co-chair.[59] In February 2011, as House Republicans were pushing for deep cuts in discretionary spending, Grimm wrote a letter to Eric Cantor saying he would vote against any budget that reduced aid to Israel.[60] Grimm was also named chair of the House Republican Policy Committee's Task Force on Foreign Policy.[61]
Syria
Grimm opposed a military strike on the Assad regime in Syria, stating, "I am no longer convinced that a U.S. strike on Syria will yield a benefit to the United States that will not be greatly outweighed by the extreme cost of war."[62]
Fundraising allegations by Rabbi Pinto
According to a January 27, 2012, New York Timesarticle, several followers of Orthodox Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto said Grimm's campaign had accepted questionable donations. Three of Pinto's followers reportedly said that Grimm or Ofer Biton, a top aide of Pinto's, had told them that the campaign would find a way to accept donations that were over the legal limit. Grimm stated, "Any suggestion that I was involved in any activities that may run afoul of the campaign finance laws is categorically false and belied by my life of public service protecting and enforcing the laws of this country."[63]
Hurricane Sandy aid
In June 2013, Grimm stated that he believed water fees should be waived for survivors of Hurricane Sandy who had been displaced from their homes. Under New York City's Department of Environmental Protection rules, all homeowners are subject to a minimum charge of $1.19 per day, even if a home uses no water during a given period. Residents who had been displaced from their homes for long periods of time received water bills over $500 for damaged, vacant properties. Grimm called the bills "ridiculous," saying, "That's $500 these people could use to replace a washer or dryer or refrigerator swept out to sea during Sandy."[64][65]
Threat against reporter
On January 28, 2014, NY1-TV political reporter Michael Scotto was interviewing Grimm in a balcony hallway of the U.S. Capitol building about the recently concluded 2014 State of the Union Address. He then tried to question Grimm about a campaign finance investigation. Grimm said he would not discuss the investigation. As Scotto started to mention the investigation again, Grimm walked off. Scotto then turned to the camera and implied that Grimm did not want to face the issue on camera. Grimm then threatened Scotto, saying that he would "break [Scotto] in half," as well as threatening to throw Scotto over the balcony.[66]
Grimm issued a statement defending his behavior, saying that he was annoyed by what he called a "disrespectful cheap shot" from Scotto.[67][68] The next day, Grimm contacted Scotto to offer an apology for his behavior, which Scotto deemed sincere.[69] Grimm also issued a written apology, saying, "I shouldn't have allowed my emotions to get the better of me and lose my cool."[70] An unnamed former staffer for Grimm and NY1-TV political director Bob Hardt reported that Grimm had behaved in a similar manner to other reporters on previous occasions.[71]
Flood insurance reform
In early 2014, Grimm and Bill Cassidy cosponsored the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act. In March 2014, the bill was passed by the U.S. Senate and signed into law by President Obama. The law repealed exponential increases in flood-insurance rates for homeowners in flood-prone areas, preventing "skyrocketing" flood insurance premiums for 5.5 million Americans.[72][73]
Environmental views
According to Politico, in April 2014, Grimm became "the first sitting House Republican to stop denying the science that humans cause climate change." Grimm stated, "The majority of respected scientists say that it's conclusive, the evidence is clear. So I don't think the jury is out."[74][75]
Committee assignments
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Gaming Caucus
- Friends of Switzerland Caucus (Co-chair)
- House Republican Israel Caucus (Co-chair)
- House Oceans Caucus (Co-chair)
- International Conservation Caucus
- Sportsmen's Caucus
Federal criminal investigation and conviction
In August 2012, the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said it was investigating Grimm's 2010 campaign.[76] In November 2012, the House Ethics Committee decided to inquire into the campaign but agreed to "defer consideration" of it at the Department of Justice's request.[77]
On January 10, 2014, the FBI arrested Grimm's former girlfriend Diana Durand on charges that she had illegally donated more than $10,000 to Grimm's 2010 campaign.[78][79] Durand allegedly gave the campaign $4,800, the legal limit, but then used straw donors to donate more than $10,000 illegally. The FBI also charged Durand with lying to federal agents about the matter. Grimm denied any wrongdoing.[80] In September 2014, Durand pled guilty to making illegal contributions to Grimm's 2010 campaign.[81]
The investigation, which originally focused on Grimm's 2010 fundraising, branched out to include Grimm's prior business dealings. On April 25, 2014, Grimm's attorney was advised by the U.S. Attorney's office that his client would be indicted on criminal charges related to Healthalicious.[82][83] On April 28, prosecutors unsealed a 20-count indictment charging that Grimm and others concealed over $1 million of the restaurant's sales and wages from both the U.S. federal government and the State of New York.[2] Grimm surrendered to the FBI that morning.[84] Grimm pled not guilty to all charges and was released on $400,000 bond. He told reporters that he not only had every intention of fighting the charges, but also of staying in office and running for a third term.[85]
On December 23, 2014, under two months after winning reelection, Grimm pled guilty to one charge of felony tax evasion. He admitted to under-reporting Healthalicious's revenues by over $900,000 over four years and to filing false tax returns based on that under-reported income. He also admitted to using the under-reported receipts to pay restaurant expenses, as well as to make under-the-table cash payments to employees. As part of the plea bargain, the other charges were dropped, but Grimm admitted to two of the offenses in the original indictment: knowingly employing people ineligible to work in the United States and lying in a 2013 deposition. The crimes to which he pled guilty carried a prison sentence of up to 30 months.[86][87]
At first Grimm admitted making mistakes, but told a reporter he would "absolutely not" resign.[86] But on December 29, 2014, it was reported that after discussing the matter with House Speaker John Boehner, Grimm had changed his mind and would decline to take his seat for a third term. He resigned from Congress on January 5, 2015.[88] A special election to replace him was held on May 5, 2015, and Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan, a Republican, was elected to the seat.
On July 17, 2015, U.S. District Judge Pamela K. Chen suggested that Grimm's moral compass "needs some reorientation" and sentenced him to eight months in prison. He surrendered on September 22, 2015, after a brief delay for medical treatment.[6][89] He was released on May 20, 2016, after serving seven months.[90]
Personal life
Prior to his indictment, Grimm lived on Staten Island.[1] He is divorced with no children.[9]
See also
- List of American federal politicians convicted of crimes
- List of federal political scandals in the United States
References
===
==
mma
September 4, 2024, edition of Newsmax's Prime News
MICHAEL GRIMM (HOST): So, listen, Vince, first of all, her parents are PhD parents, OK? And she grew up in a nice neighborhood in Canada. She is not at the forefront of social justice in the United States. What is going on here?
VINCE EVERETT ELLISON (GUEST): Yeah, I didn't know they had civil rights marches down in -- up in Canada. And, you know, Kamala lying. Man, look, the way you know Kamala Harris is lying is that her lips are moving. I mean, she was in San Francisco. She was Willie Brown's side piece. Willie Brown was married. She used him to get a position inside of San Francisco. And then she lied about being Black in order to try to win the Democratic Party nomination. And then when Joe Biden had 100 Black men say that they were going to destroy his campaign unless they chose a Black woman to be his vice president, Kamala lied about being Black to get a Black woman's position.
Now, I don't believe in affirmative action, I don't believe in DEI, but the Black men and the Black people in the Democratic Party are supposed to believe in it. So, Kamala Harris, a Caucasian woman, took a slot for a Black woman. It's like that movie Soul Man -- you remember back in the '80s when the guy wanted to get into Harvard and he took the melanin tablets to get the slot?
GRIMM: Yeah.
ELLISON: And she did that. She actually did it and became vice president based on a lie. And now she's trying to become president based on another lie. This is why she cannot have a legitimate interview with you. She knows you're going to ask that question. She knows that you're going to ask her, when did you know Joe Biden was crazy and why didn't you tell the American people about it? She knows you're going to ask her: OK, OK. Kamala you are the border czar. How did 15 million illegals get over here? She knows you're going to ask her, Kamala, do you believe in abortion until the ninth month? And do you believe that we should have passed the Born Alive Bill, which means you can abort babies after they're born? You know, she -- you're going to ask her those questions. That's why she won't sit down with you.
GRIMM: No, she's not going to sit down with me.
ELLISON: So she's going to step back, she's going to try to run out the clock. She's going to lie, lie, lie, lie, lie. But the American people are too smart. We're going to find her out and we're going to run out of town.
===
Latest posts from Michael Grimm
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[### Michael Grimm (@MichaelGrimmNY) ...
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Newsmax Contributor, Marine combat veteran, retired FBI Agent & proudly served NY-11 in Congress 2011-2015.
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Michael Grimm. 14750 likes · 7 talking about this. Newsmax Contributor, U.S. Marine, Former FBI Special Agent Member of Congress, 2011-2015.
[### Congressman Michael Grimm Indicted For Mail, Wire And ...
United States Department of Justice (.gov)
https://www.justice.gov › usao-edny › congressman-mi...](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/congressman-michael-grimm-indicted-mail-wire-and-health-care-fraud-filing-false-tax)
Apr 28, 2014 — A 20-count indictment was unsealed this morning in federal court in Brooklyn charging Michael Grimm with five counts of mail fraud, five counts of wire fraud.
[### Representative Michael G. Grimm
Congress.gov
https://www.congress.gov › member › michael-grimm](https://www.congress.gov/member/michael-grimm/G000569)
Michael G. Grimm, the Representative from New York - in Congress from 2013 through 2015.
[### Former Rep. Mike Grimm - R New York, 11th, Resigned LegiStorm
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GRIMM, Michael G., a Representative from New York; born in New York, New York County, NY, February 7, 1970; graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School, ...
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Ballotpedia features 515,057 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Click here to contact our ...
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[### Michael Grimm
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Mr. Grimm, a former congressman who pleaded guilty to tax fraud, tried to make a comeback for his old House seat. It didn't work. “We make plans,” he said ...
5/18
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/giuliani-breaks-trump-allies-endorse-michael-grimm-opponent
miichel Grimm, the ex-felon running for his old congressional seat in New York City, has earned plenty of support among the president’s allies for his unabashedly pro-Trump campaign.
But there’s one notable exception: Rudy Giuliani.
Giuliani, who has been serving as Trump’s personal lawyer, announced over the weekend that he’s endorsing Grimm’s opponent in the GOP primary, Rep. Dan Donovan, and plans to hit the stump on Donovan’s behalf. In an interview with the New York Post, Giuliani said that Grimm “should back off” and suggested that his checkered past made it more difficult for the GOP to retain control of the district.
“Dan would win re-election for sure,” Giuliani told the Post. “With Grimm as the nominee, it would be a battle to hold the seat. It would be a heavier lift.”
The comments from the former New York City mayor add further intrigue to the unexpectedly tight race for the seat Grimm was forced to give up in 2015 when he was sentenced on felony tax evasion charges.
Grimm is running hard as the #MAGA candidate, hiring former Trump aide Michael Caputo as a communications advisor, meeting last year with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, and, on Saturday, hosting a fundraiser with short-lived White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. The Post reported that the event, where Scaramucci described Grimm as a “guy with a heart of gold and a backbone of steel,” pulled in some $20,000.
But Grimm’s devotion to the President’s agenda — and praise for his “massive hands” — has yet to secure him the backing of the Commander-in-Chief himself.
And Caputo acknowledged that Giuliani’s endorsement carries real weight in the district, which covers Staten Island and parts of south Brooklyn.
“The mayor goes way back with [those neighborhoods],” Caputo told TPM in a Monday phone interview. “His support for any candidate is a positive thing for them.”
Though Caputo said that he respected Giuliani “completely” and knew from the campaign’s early days that he would align himself with Donovan, a former Staten Island district attorney, because of their histories in the New York political world, he tossed a few light barbs Giuliani’s way.
“I’m not going to criticize his decision to support the wrong candidate,” Caputo said, adding that, “No matter how many times Donovan votes against the President, I’m sure that the mayor will be there for him.”
Donovan voted against both the GOP tax bill and the failed May 2017 effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Yet he, too, has sought to frame himself as an ally of the president — just a more serious, measured one than his opponent.
Grimm is arguably best known for getting in the face of a NY1 reporter who asked about his legal troubles, threatening to toss him over a Capitol Hill balcony and break him “like a boy.”
Neither that incident nor Grimm’s prison sentence seem to concern voters in the district, who actually re-elected him in 2014 while he was facing a 20-count indictment.
An April poll from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had Grimm ahead by 10 points, while Caputo said internal polling put him up by 8. (Donovan disputes those numbers).
All that Grimm needs to do to secure a win in the June 26 primary, Caputo said, is to continue to prove to local Republican voters that he is “the more solid and reliable ally of the President.”
Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.)
his views on climate change as he fights to be reelected to a district hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.
Grimm tells MSNBC's Chris Hayes that his views have evolved in an excerpt from Showtime's “Years of Living Dangerously” series:
CHRIS HAYES: Last time you and I spoke, you said the jury was still out on climate science. Do you still feel that way?
MICHAEL GRIMM: After speaking with Bob Inglis, it made me do some of my own research, you know, I looked at some of the stuff that he sent over, my staff looked at. But the mass majority of respected scientists say that it’s conclusive, the evidence is clear. So I don't think the jury is out.
CHRIS HAYES: The basic story of -- we’re putting carbon in the atmosphere, the planet’s getting warmer, that’s gonna make the sea levels rise -- like, the basic story of that, you pretty much agree with, right?
MICHAEL GRIMM: Sure, I mean there’s no question that, um, you know, the oceans have risen, right? And the climate change part is, is a real part of it. The problem that we're gonna have right now -- there's no oxygen left in the room in Washington for another big debate, that’s the reality.
Grimm's comments to Hayes come just four years after he said at a candidate debate that 
" in response to a question about whether he believed climate change is "real."
“I have been one of the guys who have been skeptical of global warming from the beginning," Grimm said at the debate. "The jury is obviously still out on it. We see nothing but conflicting reports from across the globe. I’m not sure, I’m not a scientist.”
The second-term congressman represents New York's 11th District, including Staten Island and part of Brooklyn. He is a top target for Democrats this election cycle, so his new comments on climate change may be part and parcel with his recent support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
Grimm received a dose of negative attention in January after he physically threatened a reporter at the Capitol. He also gets an unflattering mention in Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) new book as an example of a tea party candidate who benefitted for much of his life from government, but doesn't believe in government.
for instance, when Republican Rep. Michael Grimm was campaigning in 2010, he told a room full of voters that "the jury is obviously still out on [climate change]. We see nothing but conflicting reports from across the globe." In October, Grimm's Staten Island district was devastated by Hurricane Sandy, a storm that scientists agree was made worse by climate change. But he has stayed mum on the issue since Sandy hit. In the last Congress, Grimm voted against every climate-related bill on votes he was present for on the House floor.
Republican Scott Tipton of Western Colorado represents a region hard hit last year by wildfires, drought and high temperatures. He maintains that climate change is caused by natural variability, not human activities. "Here in the state of Colorado as our tree rings demonstrate, we've had droughts long before there were very many people here," Tipton told the blog ThinkProgress last year.
Alaskan Rep. Don Young, one of the House's most senior Republicans, has called global warming "the biggest scam since the Teapot Dome," referring to one of the most notorious bribery scandals in U.S. history. Young's state has warmed at twice the national average during the past 50 years. According to scientists, the permafrost underlying Alaska is melting and causing thousands of miles of road that lay on top of it to buckle and crack as it loses its form. Sections along the northwestern coast are eroding tens of feet per year, which has forced several coastal villages to be relocated. Melting glaciers are also causing dangerous flood surges toward major cities like Juneau, the New York Times reported this month.
Neither Grimm, Tipton nor Young responded to requests for comment.
Scientists say that climate change is a major factor in the rise of more frequent and severe extreme weather. The trend will continue, they say, until governments make drastic greenhouse gas reductions.
Currently, the United States is in the midst of its most extensive drought since the 1930s. Tens of thousands of wildfires have charred millions of acres of land in the American West, and more than 30,000 temperature records were broken last year alone.
According to a new report by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), one of Congress's staunchest proponents of climate policy, the 10 congressional districts that experienced the highest number of temperature records last year are represented by politicians who voted against climate-related policies 97 percent of the time during the last Congress.
A Different Response
For Democrats, extreme weather events in their districts have prompted calls to action.
Months after taking office in 2009, Alaskan Sen. Mark Begich, a Democrat, took a handful of senators on a tour of Alaska to show them the damage being caused by global warming.
"Alaska is ground zero for climate change," Begich told InsideClimate News. "While some would rather debate the causes of climate change, I am focused on dealing with the very real impacts we see every day."
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, five senators from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut wrote a letter asking President Obama to make climate change a priority, saying the superstorm that hit the region last October "brought home the increasing costs of global warming for millions of Americans."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, said last month that climate change is causing his state's disastrous wildfire season. "The West is being devastated by wildfires. Millions of acres are burning. Millions of acres have burned," he told reporters. "Why? Because the climate has changed. The winters are shorter; the summers are hotter; the moisture patterns have changed."
During the August congressional recess, several Democratic politicians will try to build support for climate action by holding events in their districts to show people how their communities will be affected as the world warms.
Why So Skeptical?
The general public is already connecting the dots between weather extremes and global warming.
According to a 2013 poll by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, 69 percent of Americans believe that climate change is affecting U.S. weather. As many as 72 percent believe global warming is making extreme weather events even worse....http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130801/gop-lawmakers-hit-weather-tragedies-stay-mum-climate-change?page=2