Over the weekend, Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert (R) announced his intention to challenge John Boehner (R-Ohio) for his position as Speaker of the House. Gohmert is a tea party hero, and in the (highly unlikely) event that he wins the support of his peers on Tuesday, he would join the swelling ranks of vocal climate change deniers in prominent congressional leadership roles.
Boehner is certainly no climate hawk himself; recently he’s taken up the increasingly popular “I’m not a scientist” deflection when asked about the issue. But Gohmert’s views are even more fringe. Take, for example, the 2009 interview above wherein Gohmert cites Washington, D.C.’s, cold weather as proof that global warming is fake. He then thanks Al Gore for driving Suburbans so their carbon dioxide emissions can warm things up and help grow “more plants.” Gohmert has also criticized President Obama for prioritizing climate action at the expense of veterans, Ebola patients, and terrorism victims.
