All-Nighter On Climate Change To Keep US Senators Occupied
They don’t have plans for a filibuster, since they lack a bill and a scheduled vote. But more than two dozen Democratic U.S. lawmakers do have a lot to say about the perils of climate change — along with a free Monday night and access to the floor of the U.S. Senate.
So let the climate change talkathon begin. It’s set for 3:30 p.m. Pacific, when the final legislative vote is expected to have been cast. And it is supposed to go all night.
So if you happen to surf the web or TV channels to C-SPAN, don’t be surprised to catch members of the Senate — including all four Democrats from Oregon and Washington — sharing views on climate change.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. is expected to take his turn speaking out at about 5 p.m. Pacific. Here’s a snippet of his take on climate change, which was part of an email sent to supporters and media outlets:
“Climate change is happening. It’s real. And we’ve waited far too long to take the strong actions required. Too many people are wishing and hoping that this issue would just go away. But it’s not going to go away — not unless we take action to address the manmade carbon pollution that’s wreaking havoc on our planet.”
The Seattle Times is reporting that Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is expected to speak around 6:15 p.m. for five minutes.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., is telling the press his time slot is about 8:30 p.m. Monday
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., will take one of the last slots at about 8:30 a.m., just before the 9 a.m. conclusion, according to The Seattle Times.
The talkathon is one of the first high-profile pushes from a newly formed group called the Climate Change Task Force. The self-described group (well, it calls itself a “synergy”) of “climate experts, world leaders, nobel peace laureates, and shapers of opinion” is trying to mount a campaign to persuade President Obama to “leverage more ambitious and effective climate legislation,” according to its website.
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