Just wow…

*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***

Senators to Expose Web of Denial Blocking Action on Climate

Follow #WebOfDenial and #TimeToCallOut

Washington, DC – Today, Monday, from 4:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., tomorrow, Tuesday, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and throughout the week,* 19 Senators will take to the Senate floor to call out Koch brothers- and fossil fuel industry-funded groups that have fashioned a web of denial to block action on climate change.

Despite polling that shows over 80 percent of Americans favor action to reduce carbon pollution, Congress has failed to pass comprehensive climate legislation. The Senators will each deliver remarks detailing how interconnected groups – funded by the Koch brothers, major fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil and Peabody Coal, identity-scrubbing groups like Donors Trust and Donors Capital, and their allies – developed and executed a massive campaign to deceive the public about climate change to halt climate action and protect their bottom lines.

As part of their effort to draw attention to the web of denial, Senators Whitehouse, Markey, Schatz, Boxer, Merkley, Warren, Sanders, and Franken are introducing a resolution describing and condemning the efforts of corporations and groups to mislead the public about the harmful effects of tobacco, lead, and climate. The resolution also urges fossil fuel corporations and their allies to cooperate with investigations into their climate-related activities. Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) is introducing the resolution in the House this week.

Use #WebOfDenial and #TimetoCallOut to follow the speeches on Twitter.

EVENT: Senators to call out Koch brothers- and fossil fuel-backed web of denial blocking climate action

WHO: Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)

Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Senator Tom Udall (D-NM)

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

Senator Al Franken (D-MN)

Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI)

Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM)

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

Senator Edward Markey (D-MA)

Senator Gary Peters (D-MI)

WHEN: Monday, from 4:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Tuesday, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

*Several Senators will also deliver their remarks during the day on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Follow #WebOfDenial and #TimetoCallOut for specific times.

WHERE: Senate Floor

###

From: Enderle, Emily (Whitehouse)

Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2016 5:40 PM

To:

Subject: RE: Web of Denial Floor Speeches and Embargoed Resolution

T minus one day until the speeches commence! We’re expecting Leader Reid to kick things off just after 4pm tomorrow. The tentative schedule of speakers and the groups they’ll be covering is included below. Given the fluid nature of this schedule and the senate floor schedule in general, please don’t share this information outside of your organization. We’ll keep you posted about any major changes. Again, gallery passes are available in 530 Hart for anyone who’d like to watch in person. You can also tune in on C-SPAN2.

The press advisory announcing the web of denial speeches and resolution will be issued tomorrow morning, which we’ll circulate as soon as it goes out along with a clean copy of the resolution. Info about the speeches and the resolution text remains embargoed until then. Senators Whitehouse, Markey, Schatz, Boxer, Merkley, Warren, Sanders, and Franken are the current list of resolution cosponsors.

Some suggested tweets are included below and our graphics template is attached. Feel free to use these as guides as you craft digital content. The hashtags in play are #WebOfDenial and #TimeToCallOut. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Di if you have any social media questions. Her email address is Diana_Boyadjian@whitehouse.senate.gov and direct # is 202.224.9217.

Tentative Schedule – Web of Denial Speeches

Monday

Sen. Reid – ~4:10 (Leader Time) – Americans for Prosperity, Nevada Policy Research Institute

Sen. Cardin – 4:45 – Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy

Sen. Coons – (tent.) 5pm – Group TBD

Sen. Udall – 5:15pm Western Fuels Association

Sen. Kaine – 5:30pm – Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy

Sen. Schumer – 6pm – Mercatus Center (tent.)

Sen. Merkley – 6:15pm – Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine

Sen. Blumenthal – Time TBD (or Tuesday) – Americans for Prosperity, American Legislative Exchange Council

Sen. Whitehouse – Time TBD – The Advancement of Sound Science Center, Chamber of Commerce, Committee for Constructive Tomorrow, Franklin Center for Government and Policy Integrity, James Madison Institute, John Locke Foundation, Locke Institute

Tuesday

Sen. Boxer – Time TBD – Hoover Institution, Reason Foundation, Pacific Research Institute

Sen. Coons – Time TBD (or Monday)– Group TBD

Sen. Schatz – 5pm – Center for Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change, Heartland Institute

Sen. Franken – 5:15pm – Heritage Foundation

Sen. Warren – 5:30pm – Science and Public Policy Institute

Sen. Heinrich – 5:45pm – American Legislative Exchange Council

Sen. Shaheen –6pm – Competitive Enterprise Institute, Energy and Environmental Legal Institute

Sen. Reed – around 6pm – SEC climate change disclosures and the dangers of climate change denial from a national security perspective

Sen. Markey – 6pm to 6:30pm –Acton Institute, George C. Marshall Institute, Lexington Institute, Global Climate Coalition

Sen. Peters – 6:30pm – Cato Institute

Sen. Blumenthal – Time TBD – Americans for Prosperity, American Legislative Exchange Council

Sen. Whitehouse – Time TBD – The Advancement of Sound Science Center, Chamber of Commerce, Committee for Constructive Tomorrow, Franklin Center for Government and Policy Integrity, James Madison Institute, John Locke Foundation, Locke Institute

From: Enderle, Emily (Whitehouse)

Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2016 3:53 PM

To:

Cc:

Subject: Web of Denial Floor Speeches and Embargoed Resolution

As most of you know, Senators Whitehouse, Markey, Boxer, Schatz, and ~15 other Senators are planning to talk about the climate denial apparatus and its key groups in a series of floor speeches on Monday and Tuesday, with the vast majority of speeches expected to take place between 6-8:30pm on Monday and 5-7:30pm on Tuesday. The latest list of groups to be covered is included below. The catch phrase is “Web of Denial” and #WebOfDenial and #TimeToCallOut are the hashtags. Gallery passes are available at our front desk (SH 530) for anyone who’d like to watch the speeches in person. You can also tune in on C-SPAN2.

Attached, please find an embargoed copy of the resolution Members plan to introduce in both chambers on Monday that describes and expresses congressional disapproval of industrial denial activities that have obscured the truth on tobacco, lead, and climate. So far, Senators Whitehouse, Markey, Schatz, Boxer, Merkley, and Warren have signed on to the Senate resolution. Rep Lieu is leading the charge in the House. You’re welcome to share the resolution internally and among trusted allies but please don’t distribute it widely until the embargo lifts at 10am on Monday. We will send a clean copy on Monday morning. Please direct any questions about the House resolution to Megan Price from Rep Lieu’s staff (cc’d). Thanks to LCV, Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists, Clean Water Action, and Public Citizen for supporting it. Let us know if we can add your organization to the list of supporters.

We’re planning to issue a press advisory about the speeches and resolution at 10am on Monday. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Rich and Di from our comms shop with any press questions. We’ll send out sample social media material and keep you posted on speakers, list of groups, timing, etc. It’d be great if you would like to help amplify.

Thanks!

Emily

—

Emily Enderle

Chief Environmental Policy Advisor

Office of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

Web of Denial Organizations

1. The Advancement of Sound Science Center (defunct)

2. Acton Institute (MI)

3. Americans for Prosperity (VA)

4. American Legislative Exchange Council

5. American Petroleum Institute (DC)

6. Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy (defunct)

7. Cascade Policy Institute (OR)

8. Cato Institute (DC)

9. Center for Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change (AZ)

10. Chamber of Commerce (DC)

11. Committee for Constructive Tomorrow (DC)

12. Competitive Enterprise Institute (DC)

a. Cooler Heads Coalition

13. Energy and Environmental Legal Institute (formerly American Tradition Institute)

14. Franklin Center for Government and Policy Integrity (VA)

15. George C. Marshall Institute (now The CO2 Coalition) (VA)

16. Global Climate Coalition (defunct)

17. Heartland Institute (IL)

18. Heritage Foundation (DC)

19. Hoover Institution (CA)

20. James Madison Institute (FL)

21. John Locke Foundation (NC)

22. Lexington Institute (VA)

23. Locke Institute (VA)

24. Mercatus Center (VA)

25. Nevada Policy Research Institute (NV)

26. Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OR)

27. Pacific Research Institute (CA)

28. Reason Foundation (CA)

29. Science and Public Policy Institute (VA)

30. Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy (VA)

31. Western Fuels Association (CO)

a. Funded Greening Earth Society and Informed Citizens for the Environment