Former Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida was disinvited Friday from testifying at next week’s House Ways and Means Committee hearing focused on climate change, after House Democratic leadership intervened.
The committee’s Democrats, led by Chairman Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, had invited Curbelo, a former member of the panel, to testify.
Curbelo was intending to focusing his testimony on the benefits of a carbon tax.
Curbelo told the Washington Examiner Neal was supportive of him testifying. He said Neal told him he was disinvited for “reasons beyond the chairman’s control.”
“It’s a shame because I thought for a couple days that Democrats might actually be interested in making bipartisan progress on climate policy,” Curbelo said. “Richie Neal is, but clearly, others aren’t.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., pressured Neal to rescind the invitation to Curbelo, deeming it “inappropriate” for the committee’s Democrats to give a platform to a Republican, the Washington Examiner has learned.
“Mr. Hoyer felt it would be inappropriate for Mr. Curbelo to testify given he has been unclear about his 2020 electoral plans and has a long track record of being unable to persuade his Republican colleagues that climate change is real and needs to be addressed,” said Hoyer spokeswoman Mariel Saez.
Last year, before losing his seat in Congress, Curbelo was the first Republican in nearly a decade to introduce national carbon pricing legislation.
He lost his reelection bid in November to Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in a competitive race. Democrats spent heavily to defeat Curbelo and control the left-leaning swing district he represented on the southern tip of Florida.
Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee criticized Democrats for revoking Curbelo’s invitation to testify.
“Republicans were looking forward to a bipartisan, solutions-based hearing for this growing national problem,” said Rob Damschen, a spokesman for Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the committee’s top Republican. “It’s clear progressive Democrats decided to make this a partisan political exercise instead.” Brady has opposed carbon taxes.
Rep. Stephanie Murphy of Florida, a moderate Democratic member of the committee, said her party should “reconsider” its “disappointing” decision to disinvite Curbelo, who she called a “bold leader on this critical issue.”
“This is a mistake & very disappointing,” Murphy said in a Twitter post. “Addressing climate change requires bipartisan cooperation & solutions.”
The Ways and Means Committee hearing, scheduled for May 15, is focused broadly on the “economic and health consequences of climate change.” But the committee would have jurisdiction over any carbon pricing legislation that Congress might consider, so it figures to be a prominent topic.
Curbelo said he plans to attend the Ways and Means Committee hearing anyway and will make public the testimony he planned to give.
