Congressional Republicans who support policies to combat global warming plan to lean into their message even if former President Donald Trump brings attacks on climate science back to the White House, write Emma Dumain and Timothy Cama. Republicans have expanded the Conservative Climate Caucus to become the second-largest member organization in the House GOP Conference, with 82 members. They also crafted an energy platform under former House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy that steered away from climate denialism — though his subsequent ouster as speaker left them without a crucial ally. “We’re not dependent on a standard-bearer outside of the House,” said Republican Rep. John Curtis of Utah, the chair and founder of the climate caucus who is now running for Senate. “I don’t think it’s a surprise to anybody that charting the course as a Republican to talk about climate has never been easy,” he continued, “and so if there are headwinds, we’ll keep pushing forward.” On the campaign trail, Trump has continued to call climate change a “hoax” and promises his return to office would undo President Joe Biden’s environmental policies. That could mean efforts to slow or stop the rollout of federal spending on clean energy projects through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the infrastructure law of 2021. And it could affect billions of dollars in pledges that private companies have made to open U.S.-based factories for electric car batteries, wind turbines and other technology that Trump regularly disparages. The bulk of those planned investments are in Republican-leaning states in the South and Rust Belt regions of the Midwest. Yet, even as Trump and inside-the-Beltway conservative groups plot a path to reversing Biden’s climate policies — and federal climate action writ large — some Republicans who take a more moderate approach believe they can find alignment with Trump. GOP messaging on climate and energy focuses on what they call innovation as opposed to regulating energy companies and divesting from fossil fuels. Some conservatives are optimistic that Trump’s rhetoric on energy and climate doesn’t tell us everything about what his White House would do. “I think we’re aligned,” said House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.). “Good energy policy is good climate policy. And when America is energy independent, when America’s producing and when America’s innovating on energy solutions, that’s helping the climate.” For example, Republicans say Trump could loosen the Biden administration’s guidelines on the IRA’s hydrogen tax credits. A tougher stand against China could encourage even more domestic clean energy manufacturing. And if Trump unlocked protected federal lands for more oil and gas drilling, that could also open more federal spaces for renewable energy projects. That may leave climate-minded conservatives with something to cheer.
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