xii Preface
Environment a Popular Topic for Some Lawmakers
Following is a list of those legislators who dedicated the highest volume of official
communications to topics related to the environment in the 111th–114th Congresses
(using the top 10 most communicated environmental topics terms: environment,
gas, oil, coal, conservation, waters, mining, national park, emissions, and climate
change):
• Representative Tim Murphy (R-PA)
815 references
Top Topics: natural gas, oil, environmental protection agency
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Sponsored: 6
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Passed: 0
• Representative Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-Northern Mariana Islands)
730 references
Top Topics: conservation, environmental, national park
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Sponsored: 18
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Passed: 0
• Representative then Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS)
564 references
Top Topics: gas, oil, conservation
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Sponsored: 13
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Passed: 0
• Representative Mike Simpson (R-ID)
535 references
Top Topics: environment, greenhouse gas, clean water act
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Sponsored: 20
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Passed: 4
• Representative Rick Nolan (D-MN)
395 references
Top Topics: mining, national park, environment
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Sponsored: 4
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Passed: 1
• Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN)
387 references
Top Topics: environmental protection agency
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Sponsored: 4
Number of Environmental, Energy, or Land Use Legislation Passed: 0
Republican Positions 2016
The prevalence of certain terms in congressional communications is mirrored in
the official platforms that were offered by the parties in 2016. For example, the
2016 Republican Party platform states that climate change “is far from this nation’s
most pressing national security issue.” The Democratic Party platform of 2016
declares that climate change “poses a real and urgent threat to our economy, our
