Speaker John Boehner John Andrew BoehnerLongtime House parliamentarian to step down Five things we learned from this year's primaries Bad blood between Pelosi, Meadows complicates coronavirus talks MORE (R-Ohio) wouldn't say whether he believed human activities contribute to climate change on Thursday, instead targeting the administration for a "job killing" environmental agenda.

"Clearly we have had changes in our climate," Boehner told reporters at a GOP retreat in Pennsylvania. "I'll let scientists debate sources and their opinion of that change."

ADVERTISEMENT

Boehner said the "real question" that should be asked is why "every proposal we see out of the administration with regard to climate change means killing American jobs."

The emboldened GOP majority in both chambers is pushing legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, which supporters have touted as a job-creating infrastructure bill.

"The American people are still asking the question, 'Where are the jobs?' I just don't understand why every proposal that comes out of administration is going to kill thousands and thousands of more American jobs," Boehner said.

Senate Democrats are working to attach measures to the Keystone bill that would related to climate science.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is proposing one of the more controversial ones that would ask whether lawmaker agree with the overwhelming consensus of scientists that human activities contribute to climate change.