Casten calls for Congressional Democrats to Stand Up to Polluters in the Wake of Disastrous SCOTUS Ruling
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
June 30, 2022
Contact: Emilia.Rowland@mail.house.gov 330-212-2065
Casten calls for Congressional Democrats to Stand Up to Polluters in the Wake of Disastrous SCOTUS Ruling
Downers Grove, IL – Today, Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement pushing for Congressional Action after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of fossil fuel companies, severely restricting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s authority to act under the Clean Air Act.
Casten said, "Today, six radical, pro-pollution Supreme Court Justices bowed down to the same fossil fuel special interests that bankroll the radical, pro-pollution GOP politicians who appointed them to the highest court in the land – severely diluting the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to reduce pollution under the Clean Air Act, which for half a century has prevented more than 370,000 deaths and bolstered our economy by $3.8 trillion annually.
"By siding with polluters, the Court's Republican Supermajority not only chose to endanger public health by restricting the EPA's ability to reduce fossil fuel pollution, but they chose to do so knowing full well the dire consequences for life on earth.
"I, like Justice Kagen expressed in her dissent, cannot think of many things more frightening than climate policy – policy to address the most imminent, and existential threat to life on earth – being set without consultation of scientific experts by a Court which one of its own Justices admitted "does not have a clue about how to address climate change."
"We cannot let another week go by where an unelected, minoritarian court rules in favor of forced pregnancies and days later against clean air for the children that will be born as a result – even as an overwhelming majority of Americans want the federal government to protect women's bodily autonomy, to protect the air we breathe, and to fight the climate crisis devastating our communities.
"Make no mistake - It's the institutions that are broken, not the American people. But every day we fail to take legislative action to fix what's broken causes the people to lose more faith in our democracy and lose motivation to join in our fight to preserve it.
"This is a code red moment - for climate, for women's right to control their own bodies, for democracy – all hinging on our courage to fight back against minority rule.
"I'm proud to represent a purple district where folks are tired of politicians who lack the courage to stand up for them when their rights are under attack–or to fight for what's scientifically necessary to protect our future no matter the politics. That's why I led the fight to push on the Senate to end the Filibuster to protect abortion rights. It's why I introduced the People Over Petroleum Act to put cash into the pockets of Americans by ending tax handouts to the very polluters pumping toxins into our air and drinking water. It's why I was proud to secure robust and sustained investments in industrial decarbonization, energy storage, grid modernization and transmission buildout in the House FY23 appropriations markups. And it's why since March, I've been fighting to restart negotiations with the Senateto pass into law the largest cost-saving, pollution clean energy investments in American history – legislation passed months ago by the House. I will continue working tirelessly to see these investments across the finish line to continue to offset SCOTUS' reckless behavior.
"With President Biden in the White House, majorities in the House and Senate, and a mandate from the American people to protect their rights from extremist minoritarian rule, we have a real shot to fix this, a window for action, and a moral obligation to fight like hell not to let it pass us by."
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