Sens. Udall and Heinrich Join Anti-Free Speech “Web of Denial” #webofdenial

ALBUQUERQUE — Yesterday on the floor of the US Senate, New Mexico’s senators and several of their colleagues attacked the free speech rights of free market and conservative organizations. Heinrich, Udall, and their Senate colleagues believe that the “science is settled” on climate change and are attempting to intimidate, shut down, and ultimately criminalize those making arguments against using the full force of government to solve the supposed “climate crisis.”

Said Rio Grande Foundation president Paul Gessing of the Senators’ efforts, “We at the Rio Grande Foundation (and many of the organizations attacked by the Senators) simply oppose massive government programs to address the supposed threat of ‘climate change.’ We have repeatedly pointed out that US carbon emissions have dropped in recent years due to market forces such as the boom in fracking and natural gas production. Command-and-control government solutions are unnecessary especially when the market is working.”

Notably, the free market Cato Institute (the Rio Grande Foundation has hosted Cato’s climate expert Pat Michaels) accepts the so-called “consensus” on global warming. A statement on Cato’s website reads, in part:

Global warming is indeed real, and human activity has been a contributor since 1975. But global warming is also a very complicated and difficult issue that can provoke very unwise policy in response to political pressure.

“Nonetheless,” noted Gessing, “The Cato Institute was among the organizations specifically criticized by the left-wing group of anti-speech US senators. For Heinrich, Udall, and their colleagues it’s not about the science; it’s about imposing a political agenda of massively-expanded government regulation and increased taxes”

In concluding, Gessing noted, “Sens. Udall and Heinrich represent one of America’s most energy-dependent and energy-rich states. One-third of New Mexico’s budget is directly supported by oil and gas while The Land of Enchantment is also a leading producer of coal and has in the past been a leading source of uranium. Carbon-free nuclear is unfortunately not among the ‘solutions’ under consideration by the mainstream climate-change lobby. They’d rather attack their opponents’ free speech rights instead.”