Oppose the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act (S. 4340/H.R. 8330)

I urge you to oppose S. 4340/H.R. 8330, the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act, which would grant sweeping legal immunity to fossil fuel companies and deny communities the right to seek accountability for climate damages. This legislation represents an unprecedented assault on state authority and the rule of law. The bill would dismiss all pending climate liability lawsuits, eliminate state climate superfund laws, and bar future accountability measures. More than one in four Americans live in communities fighting to hold oil companies responsible for deceiving the public about climate impacts. Eleven states, Washington DC, two tribal governments, and dozens of cities and counties have filed suits against major oil producers. This legislation would eliminate their claims before courts have the opportunity to evaluate the merits. The Stop Climate Shakedowns Act is not about protecting affordable energy. It is about shielding an industry that knew decades ago of climate risks yet concealed them from the public. This is a liability shield modeled on gun manufacturer protections, effectively placing fossil fuels above the law. The American Petroleum Institute has identified blocking climate lawsuits as a top policy priority, and lawmakers behind this bill have received substantial campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry. No industry should be above accountability, regardless of political influence. This bill unconstitutionally strips states of their sovereign power to protect residents from harm and regulate greenhouse gas emissions. It asserts exclusive federal authority over climate policy at a moment when the Trump administration is actively rolling back federal environmental protections. The very standards the bill claims justify denying states remedies are being dismantled by federal regulators who have abandoned their responsibility. Communities facing devastating floods, wildfires, and extreme weather should not be denied their day in court because federal regulators have abdicated their duty to protect the public. I ask you to vote against the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act and defend our system of justice and federalism