House Republicans suspect Climate Groups Has Ties To Chinese Communist Party

Two top House Republicans demanded to know about several progressive organizations with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Oversight and Investigations Ranking Member Morgan Griffith wrote letters Sunday questioning four left-wing climate groups.

The Sunrise Movement, Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), MoveOn and Earthworks had asked the Biden administration in a July letter to “eschew the dominant antagonistic approach” toward China and work with them on the issue of climate change.

“We write to you with significant concerns that American progressive advocacy groups may be advancing U.S. government economic and environmental policies to the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party,” Rodgers and Griffith wrote to the groups.

“We are concerned that foreign interests may be influencing your advocacy activities directed toward Congress,” the letters continued. “In light of our jurisdiction over foreign commerce and environmental policy, we seek to understand the relationship between your work and Chinese efforts to influence U.S. policy development.”

McMorris and Rodgers asked the groups if they had received funding from the Chinese government, if an individual or group affiliated with the CCP had asked them to sign the July letter and if they had ever criticized China’s genocide of Uyghur Muslims. They set a deadline of Oct. 15 for the four organizations to answer their questions.

The two GOP leaders pointed out in the letters that the groups have ignored China’s mind-boggling addition to global greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, China was culpable for 28% of the global emissions, more than any other country, in contrast, the U.S. produced 15% of global emissions, according to data compiled by UCS.

“Shockingly, this letter reads more like CCP propaganda designed to blame and weaken the United States to benefit China’s national and economic security agenda,” McMorris and Rodger wrote of the four groups’ appeal to the Biden administration.