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ClimateQuiet 6d · day 8

House panel weighs bill shielding fossil fuel industry from climate lawsuits

Republicans advance legislation that would bar legal action against oil companies for climate damages, as Supreme Court prepares to hear landmark case.

newest coverage 5d agosummary written 5d ago6 pieces91 likes & upvotes4 comments Hacker NewsBlueskyMastodon

What to know

  • Republican lawmakers have introduced twin bills that would grant broad immunity from climate-related lawsuits to fossil fuel companies, claiming such suits lack scientific basis—a position contradicted by decades of research.
  • The House Judiciary Committee is set to vote on the legislation as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a landmark climate liability case (Suncor v. Boulder County) on October 5 that could determine the fate of hundreds of ongoing municipal and state lawsuits.
  • 11 states, Washington D.C., two tribal governments, and dozens of cities and counties have filed suits against oil and gas companies for climate deception; more than 25% of Americans live in communities pursuing such litigation.
most voices

The bills represent industry overreach designed to shield polluters from legal accountability for documented climate harms.

  • “What we are seeing now is an all-out attempt by the fossil fuel industry and its allies to put Big Oil above the law and shield them from having to face accountability in court.”

    Mike Meno · Inside Climate News ↗

Rep. Harriet Hageman House sponsor, Stop Climate Shakedowns ActSen. Ted Cruz Senate sponsor, companion billMike Meno Communications director, Center for Climate Integrity

House panel weighs bill shielding fossil fuel industry from climate lawsuits
insideclimatenews.org

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump posts

Peak 2 pieces in two hours at Sep 15, 8 PM; 6 pieces over 8 days (1 article · 5 posts) Sep 15, 6 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Mastodon 1Sep 15, 8 PM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Bluesky 1, Hacker News 1Sep 15, 10 PM — quietSep 16, 12 AM — quietSep 16, 2 AM — quietSep 16, 4 AM — quietSep 16, 6 AM — quietSep 16, 8 AM — quietSep 16, 10 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Sep 16, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Sep 16, 2 PM — quietSep 16, 4 PM — quietSep 16, 6 PM — quietSep 16, 8 PM — quietSep 16, 10 PM — quietSep 17, 12 AM — quietSep 17, 2 AM — quietSep 17, 4 AM — quietSep 17, 6 AM — quietSep 17, 8 AM — quietSep 17, 10 AM — quietSep 17, 12 PM — quietSep 17, 2 PM — quietSep 17, 4 PM — quietSep 17, 6 PM — quietSep 17, 8 PM — quietSep 17, 10 PM — quietSep 18, 12 AM — quietSep 18, 2 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 18, 4 AM — quietSep 18, 6 AM — quietSep 18, 8 AM — quietSep 18, 10 AM — quietSep 18, 12 PM — quietSep 18, 2 PM — quietSep 18, 4 PM — quietSep 18, 6 PM — quietSep 18, 8 PM — quietSep 18, 10 PM — quietSep 19, 12 AM — quietSep 19, 2 AM — quietSep 19, 4 AM — quietSep 19, 6 AM — quietSep 19, 8 AM — quietSep 19, 10 AM — quietSep 19, 12 PM — quietSep 19, 2 PM — quietSep 19, 4 PM — quietSep 19, 6 PM — quietSep 19, 8 PM — quietSep 19, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 12 AM — quietSep 20, 2 AM — quietSep 20, 4 AM — quietSep 20, 6 AM — quietSep 20, 8 AM — quietSep 20, 10 AM — quietSep 20, 12 PM — quietSep 20, 2 PM — quietSep 20, 4 PM — quietSep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 8 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 12 AM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quiet 12
Sep 16Sep 17Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22now · 3:44 AM ET
  1. upcoming

    Supreme Court to hear Suncor v. Boulder County case — The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear an appeal in Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, a landmark case that could affect the viability of climate liability lawsuits filed by municipalities. Boulder sued ExxonMobil and Suncor in 2018 for damages to cover climate impacts.

  2. 2

    Climate advocacy groups condemn liability shield effort

    Mike Meno, communications director for the Center for Climate Integrity, characterized the bills as an attempt to place fossil fuel companies above the law and shield them from accountability for climate deception.

    “What we are seeing now is an all-out attempt by the fossil fuel industry and its allies to put Big Oil above the law and shield them from having to face accountability in court.”
    — Mike Meno
    • SkepticalScience@scicomm.xyz

      The House Judiciary Committee will consider the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act as the Trump administration moves to roll back federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Who are we going to believe: scientists who know their subjects, or the clowns who came up with the comical title of this bill and its text? Clue: title and text are draped on a…

      SkepticalScience@scicomm.xyzMastodon5d ago2▲view on Mastodon ↗
    2 posts in this stretch →
  3. 1

    House Judiciary Committee schedules vote on shielding bill

    The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to debate and vote on the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act on Wednesday. The bills come as mounting lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry have been filed by 11 states, Washington D.C., two tribal governments, and dozens of cities and counties.

    “Energy security is national security. America's energy producers should be protected from the dangerous legal precedent that would be set by the retroactive punishment of lawful activity.”
    — Rep. Harriet Hageman, House sponsor · source
    • insideclimatenews.org

      A deregulatory trifecta? Congress moves to block lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry. The EPA rolls back climate regs. The Supreme Court hears a landmark climate case.

      insideclimatenews.orgBluesky7d ago23▲view on Bluesky ↗
    1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
    • danad1012.bsky.social

      On Wednesday a congressional committee will consider advancing a sweeping liability shield bill that would immunize the fossil fuel industry from climate lawsuits 👀 Meanwhile, the Trump admin is repealing all climate regulations

      danad1012.bsky.socialBluesky8d ago20▲view on Bluesky ↗
    all of them →
  4. background

    Ted Cruz and Senate Republicans introduce companion bill — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and three fellow Senate Republicans introduced a companion bill in the Senate that would similarly thwart lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry on the basis of lacking scientific credibility. Both Wyoming and Texas are major fossil fuel-producing states.

  5. background

    Hageman introduces Stop Climate Shakedowns Act in House — Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) introduced the sweeping bill in April, designed to prohibit liability against those engaged in the mining, extraction, production, refinement, transportation, distribution, marketing, manufacture, or sale of energy for damages or injunctive relief. The bill characterizes the scientific link between fossil fuel emissions and climate disasters as lacking "scientific credibility."

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