By AMELIA DAVIDSON and TIMOTHY CAMA
Excerpt: Environmental advocates are mapping out how to rebuild in anticipation of big Republican losses.
A blue wave that brings Democrats control of Congress could also have the counterintuitive effect of swamping climate policy partners across the aisle.
The Conservative Climate Caucus, a Republican group in the House that advocates for climate and clean-energy policies, could lose up to a third of its members in the midterms.
The midterms’ potential to wipe out such a wide swath of climate-oriented Republicans poses a major threat to Congress’ fledgling conservative climate movement, which has already tamped down its rhetoric and advocacy since President Donald Trump took office. Democrats are poised to renew their push on climate if they retake the House, but the loss of these Republicans could shrink the pool of negotiating partners across the aisle and deepen the partisan divide on climate.
Being a climate-conscious Republican has had little political upside lately: the Conservative Climate Caucus failed to keep the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits from being rolled back last year and the group’s leaders have not been able to campaign on the issue this year.
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