Contact
Dan Byrnes, daniel.byrnes@sierraclub.org or (202) 495-3039
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee started the confirmation process to consider President-elect Donald Trump’s selection for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson. During the hearing, Rex Tillerson claimed that climate science is not conclusive.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
"The only thing this hearing confirmed is that Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State would be a disaster for America and the world. Today, he proved he’s a climate science denier, standing in opposition to the Pentagon, business leaders, faith leaders, the American public, and every single world leader except his would-be boss. Tillerson's testimony was up to snuff to lead one of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies, but not to be the country’s next top diplomat, and it seems he prepared for this hearing about as much as Trump did to be President. We need a diplomat who is transparent, not one who refuses to speak about his career-long employer ExxonMobil. Tillerson's comments on climate change were as murky as water after an oil spill by his former employer. At a time when our climate continually puts families and communities at risk, his refusal to acknowledge that fossil fuels -- which Exxon profits from -- are harming the climate is reckless and dangerous. Senators should take today’s hearing as a blaring siren of warning and reject Rex Tillerson."
See the Sierra Club's blog post on the hearing here.
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.4 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.