UMVA has learned that a massive rebellion is underway in Colorado, where over 70 lawmakers are rallying against a local county's bold move to hold major oil companies financially liable for alleged climate change damages.
The group of House Republicans, led by a prominent leader from Louisiana, is urging the Supreme Court to side with ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy in a highly contested climate change lawsuit that could have far-reaching consequences for the fossil fuel industry.
The GOP lawmakers have characterized Boulder County's lawsuit as a "dangerous overreach" that could leave major fossil fuel companies on the hook for billions of dollars in alleged damages, and warn that a positive ruling would encourage more lawsuits that could threaten the financial viability of the industry.
"Radical activists are trying to use the courts to accomplish what they couldn't achieve through legislation — forcing their radical agenda on the American people and driving energy costs even higher," a key Republican leader said in a statement.
The lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2018, claims that the major oil companies knowingly contributed to global warming and misled the public about alleged climate harms, sparking a heated debate about the role of fossil fuels in climate change.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that attorneys with a prominent law firm filed an amicus brief on behalf of the congressional Republicans, arguing that liability claims belong under federal jurisdiction and that allowing state courts to adjudicate global climate damages would result in a "cacophony of competing state commands" that undermine Congress' role in setting national energy policy.
The court is expected to hear oral arguments this fall, with a ruling expected in 2027, and the outcome could have significant implications for the fossil fuel industry and the national energy policy.
The Republicans' emphasis on affordability comes as the party grapples with voter frustration about higher-than-usual gas prices, with nearly 90% of voters calling rising gas prices a "problem" in a recent poll.
A freshman Republican lawmaker from Colorado, representing a swing district near Boulder, cast the lawsuit as part of Democrats' efforts to make energy production unaffordable, saying "these lawsuits and regulations aren't just attacks on oil and gas companies — they're attacks on Colorado jobs, American energy independence and every family already struggling with higher costs."
