Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska

Two days after several Trump administration agencies published an alarming reporton the impact of man-made climate change, three Republican senators did the equivalent of a rhetorical shrug in response.

Though Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Ben Sasse (R-NE) and Mike Lee (R-UT) all acknowledged the existence of a changing climate to some degree — though Ernst hedged that “the climate is always changing” — the three Republicans expressed doubt about and resistance to potential federal efforts to combat what climate scientists have characterized as a fast-moving threat to humanity.

Ernst expressed concern about the impact of federal efforts on “American industry and jobs” but acknowledged “there is a balance that can be struck there,” pointing to the wind energy farms in her state.

Sasse criticized “alarmism” on the side of those advocating for federal efforts to address climate change, and appeared to stand by President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord — the global agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions — calling it “not […]

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