A resolution recognizing that climate change is not a hoax, but sound science.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Whitehouse (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Schatz, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This is a non-binding Senate resolution that declares climate change caused by burning fossil fuels is sound science, not a hoax. It calls on Congress to protect federally mandated climate research programs, including the National Climate Assessments and the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
Who Benefits and How
Climate scientists and federal research programs (NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Global Change Research Program) benefit symbolically from Congress formally affirming that their work is legitimate science. Environmental advocacy organizations benefit from having Senate support for climate research protection. The resolution provides political backing for maintaining federally funded climate research.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The fossil fuel industry faces reputational costs from the resolution explicitly naming fossil fuel combustion as the cause of climate change. The preamble extensively cites historical evidence that oil companies knew about climate change decades ago. Climate change skeptics face political pushback as the resolution formally rejects the "climate hoax" narrative.
Key Provisions
- Declares that climate change caused by fossil fuel combustion is not a hoax
- Affirms that human-caused greenhouse gas-driven climate change is sound science
- Calls on Congress to protect legislatively mandated climate research programs
- Cites extensive historical evidence of climate science, including internal research by Exxon and Shell dating back decades
- References the Trump Administration's 2025 shutdown of climate research programs
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
A Senate resolution recognizing that climate change caused by fossil fuel combustion is sound science, not a hoax, and calling on Congress to protect legislatively mandated climate research programs.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Non-binding sense of the Senate resolution affirming climate science and opposing attacks on climate research programs"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Climate scientists and researchers
- Federal climate research agencies (NASA, NOAA)
- Environmental advocacy groups
- U.S. Global Change Research Program
Likely Burden Bearers
- Fossil fuel industry (reputational)
- Climate change skeptics
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology