EXCLUSIVE — Two House Republicans got into a tense exchange Thursday over whether the GOP is winning on the issue of climate change, underlining the growing political divisions within the conference as the matter becomes more salient for voters.
The exchange occurred between Reps. John Curtis (R-UT) and Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) during a meeting hosted by the House Republican Policy Committee. More than 20 members had gathered to discuss an environmental indicators report released by the committee, with former Trump Interior Secretary David Bernhardt presenting the data. However, the conversation eventually evolved on how to message on the environment and climate change, with several members expressing alarm that polling on the issue and conversations with constituents were not matching with the party’s direction.
