A resolution recognizing that sea levels are rising at accelerated rates due to human-caused climate change.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Whitehouse (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Markey, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This Senate resolution formally states that the Senate recognizes climate change is real, is caused by human activity, and is responsible for accelerating sea-level rise. It is a non-binding resolution, meaning it expresses the official position of the Senate but does not create any new laws, regulations, or funding.
Who Benefits and How
Environmental advocacy groups and climate scientists benefit politically because the resolution provides official congressional recognition of the scientific consensus on climate change. Renewable energy companies and coastal adaptation industries may benefit indirectly as the resolution signals potential future legislative support for climate action and coastal resilience investments.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The fossil fuel industry faces potential reputational and political disadvantage as the resolution officially ties their products ("fossil fuel emissions") to climate harm. However, since this is a non-binding resolution, there is no immediate regulatory burden, tax, or compliance requirement on any industry. The fossil fuel industry faces no direct legal or financial impact.
Key Provisions
- Cites scientific evidence that sea levels are rising at accelerated rates, with potential increases of 2 to 7.2 feet by 2100
- Notes that 30% of Americans live in coastal areas threatened by rising seas
- States that $10 trillion in goods and services are produced in coastal counties annually
- Attributes $8.1 billion of Hurricane Sandy damage to increased sea levels
- Formally recognizes "anthropogenic climate change" (human-caused) as the driver of sea-level rise
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 formally recognizing anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change and its role in accelerating sea-level rise, citing scientific evidence about thermal expansion, ice sheet melting, and coastal community impacts.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Non-binding resolution to establish Senate position on climate science and sea-level rise, laying groundwork for future climate legislation by citing extensive scientific evidence in the preamble."
Likely Beneficiaries
- Environmental advocacy groups
- Climate scientists and researchers
- Renewable energy industry
- Coastal adaptation and resilience industries
Likely Burden Bearers
- Fossil fuel industry (political/reputational, not regulatory)
- Climate change skeptics (political)
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