The Senate Budget Committee held a hearing this week on the fossil fuel industry’s efforts to deceive the public about its role in fueling the climate crisis. Wednesday’s hearing focused on what lawmakers identified as the “fourth phase” in Big Oil’s climate deception, in which companies launched a widespread greenwashing campaign as it carried out business as usual. This is Senate Budget Committee Chair Sheldon Whitehouse.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse: “Phase four, put simply, is climate denial lite, a green-leaning cover for the industry’s continued covert operation through dark money, phony front groups, false economics and relentless exertion of political influence to block meaningful climate safety progress.”