The Security and Exchange Commission’s decision Wednesday to dilute a long-awaited rule to compel major companies to disclose their carbon emissions ultimately did little to neutralize the political response on Capitol Hill.
As lawmakers learned the details of the SEC’s so-called climate disclosure rule, their reactions signaled just how politicized environmental policies have truly become — and how dug in members remain in their positions.
“The SEC was bullied by corporate interests, specifically by fossil fuel interests,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who has used his leadership of the Senate Budget Committee to connect special interests to the perpetuation of global warming.
“The SEC made a mistake allowing itself to be influenced by [them] … and the administration made a mistake by not taking [them] on and not calling it out from the get-go.”
