High tide, downtown Miami, Forida in 2016. Photo by wikimedia user B137 via CC license

Environment › Congressional Candidates Positions on Climate Change | Elections › Illinois

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Illinois

Our top scientific institutions, including the U.S. military, NASA, and NOAA all say pollution is causing our planet to get warmer. Still, false information designed to discredit climate science is actively promoted by organizations with ties to coal and oil. Many leaders in Congress are also spreading disinformation about the climate. While fossil fuel companies are generating enormous profits, we ultimately will bear the costs associated with extreme weather and rising sea levels. Representatives for Illinois in the United States Congress have an important role in supporting efforts to solve the issue. Find your representatives and their positions on climate by using the form below.

Find Your Voter District and Congress Representatives' Positions on Climate Change

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Districts Updated 2021

Tammy Duckworth defeated Mark Kirk in 2016 to become senator for Illinois. Duckworth has the support of numerous environment groups.
"As a new parent, I feel a particular responsibility to act in the face of overwhelming scientific consensus about global climate change, and you have my commitment that in the Senate I will continue to work with these groups and everyone else who accepts scientific reality and is committed to solving this existential threat." - Tammy Duckworth
Richard Durbin is the other senator for Illinois. He also supports efforts to solve climate change.
The existence of man-made climate change is not a debatable issue, nor is it a vague or distant threat. It is a situation that requires serious attention immediately - Richard J. Durbin


House of Representatives

Illinois 1: Incumbent Bobby Rush is a supporter of climate change efforts.
Illinois 2: Incumbent Robin Kelley supports climate change efforts, saying, "Reliance on foreign fossil fuels is too expensive, exposes us to political and security risks associated with purchasing oil from unstable and undemocratic regimes, and fails to combat the negative impact of climate change."
Illinois 3: Incumbent Marie Newman is a supporter of efforts to combat climate change.
Fires are ravaging the west coast, burning over 6.6 million acres, killing more than 30 individuals, destroying buildings, and leaving thousands of families homeless or displaced. Meanwhile hurricanes are threatening thousands on our East Coast. Scientists inform us that this is our new normal if we fail to take action. - Marie Newman
Illinois 4: Incumbent Jesus Chuy Garcia is a supporter of efforts to combat climate change.
I believe that the retreat on climate change, environmental protection and public health is a disservice to our children and grandchildren. The administration is wrong in thinking that short term protection of pollution and older technologies will help the country grow. - Chuy Garcia
Illinois 5: Incumbent Mike Quigley is a supporter of climate change efforts.
Illinois 6: Sean Casten won this seat in 2018 while having climate change high on his agenda. He beat the previous representative, Peter Roskam, who was on the BarackObama.com list of Congress members standing against proposals to address the causes of climate change. Peter Roskam had said the conclusions scientists have made on climate change are "junk science".
After years fighting climate change as an entrepreneur, I’m now determined to fight it as the next member of Congress - Sean Casten
Illinois 7: Incumbent Danny Davis indicates he supports efforts to combat climate change.
Illinois 8: Raja Krishnamoorthi, who included fighting climate change in his campaign, won this seat in 2016. In 2017, he criticized Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris agreement on climate.
Abandoning the commitments we made in the Paris Climate Agreement is a massive self-inflicted wound to our environment, our global influence, and our economy. - Raja Krishnamoorthi
Illinois 9: Incumbent Jan Schakowsky is a supporter of climate change efforts.
Illinois 10: Brad Schneider, a supporter of efforts on climate change, won this seat in 2016.
Illinois 11: Incumbent Bill Foster is a scientist and serves on the Science Committee, where he says he's fighting back against Republican efforts to cut research funding and muzzle climate change research. Bill Foster's campaign says his stance on global warming rests on these principles:

  • - The observed global warming is dangerous and real.
  • - At least half of the observed global warming is human-caused, so action is imperative.
  • - It is our responsibility to fix this problem in the way that does the least damage our economic growth in the U.S. and throughout the world.
Illinois 12: Mike Bost is representing Illinois 12 with a position against efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. He has spoken out against the Paris Accord to address climate change. He made the BarackObama.com list of representatives blocking action in congress while questioning the reality of climate change.
Illinois 13: Rodney Davis made the BarackObama.com list of members of Congress who were blocking action on climate change. Rodney Davis has a record in congress that favors big oil and fossil fuel.
Illinois 14: Lauren Underwood won this seat in 2018 while expressing the understanding that climate change is real.
There is clear evidence that human activity is a significant catalyst toward climate change, producing increased carbon emissions that have caused and will continue to cause lasting damage to our planet. As our next representative, I'll respect the facts, evidence and scientific consensus that Hultgren has turned away from. - Lauren Underwood
The previous representative for district 14, Randy Hultgren represented the district in ways that got him onto the BarackObama.com list of members of congress who are questioning action on climate change.
Illinois 15: Mary Miller represents district 15. When asked about what climate change measures she'd support, she spoke against current proposals. John Shimkus previously represented Illinois 15th district with an anti-environment positions on climate change. He was on the BarackObama.com list of Congress members that were standing against proposals to address the causes of climate change.
The cost of the Green New Deal is tens of trillions of dollars. The Green New Deal would raise the cost of motor fuel and would impoverish rural families. I will fight to protect rural residents by opposing radical ideas like the Green New Deal and other extreme environmental legislation. Our focus should be on developing clean coal technology and nuclear power. - Mary Miller, quoted in Chicago Tribune, when asked "What measures if any to combat climate change do you support?"
Illinois 16: Adam Kinzinger represents the district with a moderate view on climate change. He seems willing to acknowledge global warming exists but we are unsure if he is for or against any regulations or efforts to address emissions.
Illinois 17: Cheri Bustos votes pro-environment and supports efforts on climate change.
Illinois 18: Darin LaHood has in the past stood against proposals to address climate change. He usually has voted against environmental proposals in Congress. In a town hall, he questioned the amount humans contribute to climate change, and said he supported clean coal as part of a clean energy policy.
The climate is changing and I believe humans play a role in that. There is no doubt about that. The question is, at whatever do they play a role? Is it 51 percent? Is it 35 percent? I am open minded to listen to people who can give me a different view on that. I am supportive of a clean energy policy. What does that mean? That means clean coal, it means solar, it means wind. - Darin LaHood, in a town hall, quoted in Peoria Journal Star

Disclaimer: The statements and comments about representatives positions are the opinion of the writer. We try to include accurate information and base the representative and candidate positions on a variety of reliable sources. Sources include reputable reporting on candidates' past statements, campaign websites, press coverage of campaigns and representatives, votes in Congress on issues, and party affiliation. If you feel we are missing something, let us know. Please contact us to suggest a correction or request an update. Individual representatives and districts are updated periodically, but may at times become outdated. These statements are opinions related to how the U.S. Congress is responding to a national security and public health issue, but should be treated as opinions.



See also: Disinformation on Climate Change is Staggering

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