Lafayette Reporter

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have urged the Senate Budget Committee to prioritize fiscal matters over climate policy discussions. The Republican senators, along with their colleagues, are pressing committee chairman Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to redirect the committee's focus towards cutting spending.

In response to the committee's emphasis on climate policy, the Republican senators expressed their concerns in a letter to Whitehouse. They highlighted the disproportionate allocation of time to climate change hearings compared to core committee responsibilities, stating, "Your frustration with our complaints regarding the committee’s climate change hearings would be understandable if such hearings were commensurate with the time spent on core committee responsibilities."

The senators underscored the urgency of addressing the nation's fiscal challenges, pointing out the alarming projections related to public debt and interest costs. They emphasized the need for immediate attention to the country's financial well-being, warning about the escalating debt levels and interest burden.

Regarding climate-related bills introduced by Democratic senators on the committee, the Republican senators noted the lack of legislative progress and popular support for these proposals. They highlighted that none of the bills had been referred to the Committee on the Budget or advanced in Democrat-controlled committees.

The Republican senators emphasized the Senate Budget Committee's pivotal role in addressing the country's fiscal outlook and criticized the committee's limited involvement in legislating climate change policy. They called for a shift in focus towards the pressing economic challenges facing the nation.

In a separate instance during a hearing on outdoor recreation and climate change, Sen. Kennedy raised questions about Democrats' witness' expertise on carbon dioxide, highlighting the lack of insightful testimony in climate change meetings.

The Republican senators' full response to Sen. Whitehouse's letter can be accessed here.