US senator warns of fossil fuel coup, economic reckoning
In an interview, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island blamed the sweeping rollback of environmental protections on a flood of unlimited, anonymous corporate political spending, and said exposing the scale of this "fraud" is key to breaking its grip.
His remarks came as the death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas linked by scientists to climate change threatened to surge further.
"This isn't even government any longer," the 69-year-old told a small group of reporters ahead of an address to Congress Wednesday -- his 300th so-called "Time to Wake Up" speech, delivered as activists reel from Trump's actions.
"This is an occupying force from the fossil fuel industry that has injected itself into the key positions of responsibility," said the lawmaker.
"It has the appearance of being government -- they ride around in the black cars... they have the offices, they have the titles," he said. But in reality, "they're fossil fuel flunkies... and they care not a whit for public opinion or public safety."
Big Oil spent at least $445 million to help elect Trump, according to a recent analysis by Climate Power, which said its figure was likely a vast underestimate because of undisclosed donations.
- Dark money takeover -
In his second term, Republican Trump has pulled the United States out of the Paris climate accord, gutted science agencies, fired researchers and forecasters, scrapped his predecessor Joe Biden's clean energy tax cuts and rolled back powerplant and vehicle efficiency standards.
Whitehouse calls it the oil, coal and gas industry's "most sordid dreams come true" and says the stage was set by the 2010 Supreme Court "Citizens United" ruling, which unleashed an era of unchecked corporate political spending.
A former state attorney general who battled corporate polluters, he recalled that when he first joined the Senate, climate bipartisanship flourished: John McCain, the GOP's 2008 presidential nominee, had "a perfectly respectable climate platform," while Republican senators proposed bills.
"These weren't little tiddlywinks, nibble-at-the-edges bills," he recalled, but would have genuinely changed the trajectory of climate emissions.
Citizens United reversed century-old campaign finance restrictions and opened the floodgates to dark money.
"They were able to come into the Republican Party and say, 'We will give you unlimited amounts of money. You will have more money in your elections than you've ever seen before.'"
- The way forward -
Despite the bleak landscape, Whitehouse still sees a narrow path to climate safety — and points to several potential game changers.
First, he cites the possible emergence of a global carbon pricing effort, spearheaded by the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which taxes importers based on their climate footprint.
Countries like the UK, Canada, Mexico and Australia could join this movement, creating a de facto global price on carbon, enforced through trade -- without US legislation.
Second, he says, Democrats can and must expose fossil fuel's stranglehold on the Republican party, a phenomenon he calls one of the "most grave incidents of political corruption and fraud that the country has ever seen," and pass a bill forcing donor transparency.
Third, what was once framed as a crisis for polar bears -- and later as an opportunity for green jobs -- is today directly hitting Americans where it hurts most: their wallets.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has warned that climate change will shrink mortgage availability across swaths of the United States in the coming years as banks and insurers retreat from fire- and flood-prone regions.
Risks could cascade from an insurance crunch into a broader mortgage collapse -- potentially triggering a 2008-style crash.
Whitehouse predicts the fossil fuel industry's hold on Republicans won't last forever.
"When it becomes clear what has been done here, then there's going to be a dramatic reset," he said. "A reckoning will come for this. There's no doubt about it -- it's just the nature of human affairs."
Trump himself, he added, was merely swept along by the dominant current of the post-2010 Republican Party, with no ideological stake in the issue. As recently as 2009, he co-signed a full-page advertisement in the New York Times demanding stronger climate action from then president Barack Obama.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Trump threatens Canada with higher tariff, mulls further global levies
Canada will face a 35 percent tariff on exports to the United States starting August 1, President Donald Trump said in a late-night letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney that upends negotiations between the close allies. The notice was the latest of more than 20 such letters Trump has issued since Monday as he continues to widen a global trade war, adding in an interview that countries which have yet to receive a letter from him would see a 15 percent or 20 percent levy. Canada's 35 percent tariff marks a step up from an existing 25 percent level, but products complying with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are expected to remain exempt, a Trump administration official told AFP. Canadian energy resources are anticipated to still face a lower levy, the official said, while noting that Trump has yet to make final decisions on the matter. Trump told reporters Friday that Ottawa reached out following the release of his letter: "I think it was fairly well received. It is what we need. So we'll see what happens." Canada and the United States have been locked in trade negotiations in hopes of reaching a deal by July 21, but Trump's latest threat appeared to have shifted that deadline. Both Canada and Mexico are trying to find ways to satisfy Trump so the USMCA free trade deal uniting the three countries can be put back on track. "Throughout the current trade negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government has steadfastly defended our workers and businesses. We will continue to do so as we work towards the revised deadline of August 1," Carney posted Thursday night on X. The USMCA replaced the previous NAFTA accord in July 2020, after Trump successfully pushed for a renegotiation during his first term in office. It was due to be reviewed by July next year, but Trump has thrown the process into disarray by launching trade wars after he returned to office in January. Canadian and Mexican products were swiftly hit by 25 percent US tariffs this year, with a lower rate for Canadian energy. Trump targeted both North American neighbors saying they did not do enough on illegal immigration and the flow of illicit drugs -- particularly fentanyl -- across borders. Canada contributes less than one percent of the drug to the illicit US supply, according to Canadian and US government data. Trump eventually announced exemptions for goods entering his country under the USMCA, covering a large range of products. - Reciprocity - Thursday's letter came despite what had been warming relations between Trump and Carney, who has faced the brash Republican's regular musings that Canada should become the 51st US state. The Canadian leader visited the White House on May 6 and had a cordial Oval Office meeting with Trump. They met again at the G7 summit last month in Canada, where leaders pushed Trump to back away from his punishing trade war. Canada also agreed to rescind taxes impacting US tech firms that had earlier prompted Trump to retaliate by calling off trade talks. Separately, Trump announced in an interview with NBC that he was thinking of slapping blanket tariffs of 15-20 percent on countries that had not yet received his letters. The letters announced tariff rates on Brazil of as much as 50 percent, to kick in on August 1 unless better terms can be found before then. Trump told NBC that the letter to the 27-country European Union, a major US trading partner, would be sent "today or tomorrow (Friday)." Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Thursday that he is willing to negotiate with Washington after Trump said he would hit South America's biggest economy with his tough tariff. He however reiterated that the Brazilian government is evaluating reciprocity measures. In his letter to Lula, Trump criticized the treatment of his right-wing ally Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
EU waits as Trump keeps world guessing on tariff plans
The European Union is bracing for a possible letter from US President Donald Trump outlining planned duties on his country's largest trade and investment partner. The EU initially hoped to strike a comprehensive trade agreement, including zero-for-zero tariffs on industrial goods, but months of difficult talks have led to the realisation it will probably have to settle for an interim agreement and hope something better can still be negotiated. The 27-country bloc is under conflicting pressures as powerhouse Germany urged a quick deal to safeguard its industry while other EU members, such as France, have said EU negotiators should not cave into a one-sided deal on US terms. After keeping much of the world guessing his intentions, Trump has outlined new tariffs for a number of countries, including allies Japan and South Korea, along with a 50 per cent tariff on copper and a hike to 35 per cent on Canadian goods. Trump's cascade of tariff orders since returning to the White House has begun generating tens of billions of dollars a month in new revenue for the US government. US customs duties revenue shot past $US100 billion ($A152 billion) in the federal fiscal year through to June, according to US Treasury data on Friday - equal to or greater than the largest annual take ever from customs duties. "We remain locked and loaded to sign an agreement with the US. Let's see what happens when our friends in Washington wake up a few hours from now," EU spokesman Olof Gill told a briefing. A source with knowledge of the US-EU negotiations said an agreement was close but that it was hard to predict if the EU might still get a letter announcing more tariffs or when any agreement might be finalised. An EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the EU was strong when it acted together. "It is important that the pain or gain is distributed equally. We cannot have just one country or sector that takes the win." Trump's 35 per cent tariff on Canada is an increase from the current 25 per cent rate he had assigned and is a blow to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was seeking to agree a trade pact with the US. According to Trump, the new rate will take effect on August 1 and could go up further if Canada retaliates. "Throughout the current trade negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government has steadfastly defended our workers and businesses. We will continue to do so as we work towards the revised deadline of August 1," Carney said on X. The EU has drawn up countermeasures against Trump's tariffs but has not imposed them. An initial 21 billion euros ($A37.2 billion) of levies on US imports due in April was suspended before taking effect. Another package, on 72 billion euros of US imports, could also be applied. "Basically, if a political decision is made to extend the suspension, then we'll extend the suspension," Gill said. "If we need to unsuspend it, we can do that, you know, at the drop of a hat," he added. Elsewhere US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, as the two powers vied to push their agendas in Asia. Both sides described the meeting as constructive. China this week warned the United States against reinstating hefty levies on its goods next month and China has also threatened to retaliate against countries that strike deals with the US to cut China out of supply chains. The European Union is bracing for a possible letter from US President Donald Trump outlining planned duties on his country's largest trade and investment partner. The EU initially hoped to strike a comprehensive trade agreement, including zero-for-zero tariffs on industrial goods, but months of difficult talks have led to the realisation it will probably have to settle for an interim agreement and hope something better can still be negotiated. The 27-country bloc is under conflicting pressures as powerhouse Germany urged a quick deal to safeguard its industry while other EU members, such as France, have said EU negotiators should not cave into a one-sided deal on US terms. After keeping much of the world guessing his intentions, Trump has outlined new tariffs for a number of countries, including allies Japan and South Korea, along with a 50 per cent tariff on copper and a hike to 35 per cent on Canadian goods. Trump's cascade of tariff orders since returning to the White House has begun generating tens of billions of dollars a month in new revenue for the US government. US customs duties revenue shot past $US100 billion ($A152 billion) in the federal fiscal year through to June, according to US Treasury data on Friday - equal to or greater than the largest annual take ever from customs duties. "We remain locked and loaded to sign an agreement with the US. Let's see what happens when our friends in Washington wake up a few hours from now," EU spokesman Olof Gill told a briefing. A source with knowledge of the US-EU negotiations said an agreement was close but that it was hard to predict if the EU might still get a letter announcing more tariffs or when any agreement might be finalised. An EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the EU was strong when it acted together. "It is important that the pain or gain is distributed equally. We cannot have just one country or sector that takes the win." Trump's 35 per cent tariff on Canada is an increase from the current 25 per cent rate he had assigned and is a blow to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was seeking to agree a trade pact with the US. According to Trump, the new rate will take effect on August 1 and could go up further if Canada retaliates. "Throughout the current trade negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government has steadfastly defended our workers and businesses. We will continue to do so as we work towards the revised deadline of August 1," Carney said on X. The EU has drawn up countermeasures against Trump's tariffs but has not imposed them. An initial 21 billion euros ($A37.2 billion) of levies on US imports due in April was suspended before taking effect. Another package, on 72 billion euros of US imports, could also be applied. "Basically, if a political decision is made to extend the suspension, then we'll extend the suspension," Gill said. "If we need to unsuspend it, we can do that, you know, at the drop of a hat," he added. Elsewhere US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, as the two powers vied to push their agendas in Asia. Both sides described the meeting as constructive. China this week warned the United States against reinstating hefty levies on its goods next month and China has also threatened to retaliate against countries that strike deals with the US to cut China out of supply chains. The European Union is bracing for a possible letter from US President Donald Trump outlining planned duties on his country's largest trade and investment partner. The EU initially hoped to strike a comprehensive trade agreement, including zero-for-zero tariffs on industrial goods, but months of difficult talks have led to the realisation it will probably have to settle for an interim agreement and hope something better can still be negotiated. The 27-country bloc is under conflicting pressures as powerhouse Germany urged a quick deal to safeguard its industry while other EU members, such as France, have said EU negotiators should not cave into a one-sided deal on US terms. After keeping much of the world guessing his intentions, Trump has outlined new tariffs for a number of countries, including allies Japan and South Korea, along with a 50 per cent tariff on copper and a hike to 35 per cent on Canadian goods. Trump's cascade of tariff orders since returning to the White House has begun generating tens of billions of dollars a month in new revenue for the US government. US customs duties revenue shot past $US100 billion ($A152 billion) in the federal fiscal year through to June, according to US Treasury data on Friday - equal to or greater than the largest annual take ever from customs duties. "We remain locked and loaded to sign an agreement with the US. Let's see what happens when our friends in Washington wake up a few hours from now," EU spokesman Olof Gill told a briefing. A source with knowledge of the US-EU negotiations said an agreement was close but that it was hard to predict if the EU might still get a letter announcing more tariffs or when any agreement might be finalised. An EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the EU was strong when it acted together. "It is important that the pain or gain is distributed equally. We cannot have just one country or sector that takes the win." Trump's 35 per cent tariff on Canada is an increase from the current 25 per cent rate he had assigned and is a blow to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was seeking to agree a trade pact with the US. According to Trump, the new rate will take effect on August 1 and could go up further if Canada retaliates. "Throughout the current trade negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government has steadfastly defended our workers and businesses. We will continue to do so as we work towards the revised deadline of August 1," Carney said on X. The EU has drawn up countermeasures against Trump's tariffs but has not imposed them. An initial 21 billion euros ($A37.2 billion) of levies on US imports due in April was suspended before taking effect. Another package, on 72 billion euros of US imports, could also be applied. "Basically, if a political decision is made to extend the suspension, then we'll extend the suspension," Gill said. "If we need to unsuspend it, we can do that, you know, at the drop of a hat," he added. Elsewhere US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, as the two powers vied to push their agendas in Asia. Both sides described the meeting as constructive. China this week warned the United States against reinstating hefty levies on its goods next month and China has also threatened to retaliate against countries that strike deals with the US to cut China out of supply chains. The European Union is bracing for a possible letter from US President Donald Trump outlining planned duties on his country's largest trade and investment partner. The EU initially hoped to strike a comprehensive trade agreement, including zero-for-zero tariffs on industrial goods, but months of difficult talks have led to the realisation it will probably have to settle for an interim agreement and hope something better can still be negotiated. The 27-country bloc is under conflicting pressures as powerhouse Germany urged a quick deal to safeguard its industry while other EU members, such as France, have said EU negotiators should not cave into a one-sided deal on US terms. After keeping much of the world guessing his intentions, Trump has outlined new tariffs for a number of countries, including allies Japan and South Korea, along with a 50 per cent tariff on copper and a hike to 35 per cent on Canadian goods. Trump's cascade of tariff orders since returning to the White House has begun generating tens of billions of dollars a month in new revenue for the US government. US customs duties revenue shot past $US100 billion ($A152 billion) in the federal fiscal year through to June, according to US Treasury data on Friday - equal to or greater than the largest annual take ever from customs duties. "We remain locked and loaded to sign an agreement with the US. Let's see what happens when our friends in Washington wake up a few hours from now," EU spokesman Olof Gill told a briefing. A source with knowledge of the US-EU negotiations said an agreement was close but that it was hard to predict if the EU might still get a letter announcing more tariffs or when any agreement might be finalised. An EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the EU was strong when it acted together. "It is important that the pain or gain is distributed equally. We cannot have just one country or sector that takes the win." Trump's 35 per cent tariff on Canada is an increase from the current 25 per cent rate he had assigned and is a blow to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was seeking to agree a trade pact with the US. According to Trump, the new rate will take effect on August 1 and could go up further if Canada retaliates. "Throughout the current trade negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government has steadfastly defended our workers and businesses. We will continue to do so as we work towards the revised deadline of August 1," Carney said on X. The EU has drawn up countermeasures against Trump's tariffs but has not imposed them. An initial 21 billion euros ($A37.2 billion) of levies on US imports due in April was suspended before taking effect. Another package, on 72 billion euros of US imports, could also be applied. "Basically, if a political decision is made to extend the suspension, then we'll extend the suspension," Gill said. "If we need to unsuspend it, we can do that, you know, at the drop of a hat," he added. Elsewhere US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, as the two powers vied to push their agendas in Asia. Both sides described the meeting as constructive. China this week warned the United States against reinstating hefty levies on its goods next month and China has also threatened to retaliate against countries that strike deals with the US to cut China out of supply chains.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Donald Trump expected to ‘turn his mind' to Ukraine war shortly
Former Howard government minister Peter McGauran says Donald Trump is 'preoccupied' with the Middle East peace deal but will soon 'turn his mind' towards the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This comes as the US President is considering additional sanctions on Moscow after becoming increasingly frustrated over the rising death toll in the Ukraine war. He believes Russia's leader has shown a lack of willingness to engage in ceasefire talks.
