Last night, a group of 30 Senators stayed up all night delivering speeches to bring attention to the need for climate action. The Senators began their evening of climate speeches at 6:30 p.m. ET on March 10 and concluded at 9 a.m. ET on March 11. In the 14 hours of #Up4Climate speeches, the Senators discussed climate science, shared stories of climate change impacts on their home states, and stressed solutions and the need to apply American ingenuity and innovation to the problem of climate change.

The following is a statement from Earthjustice Senior Legislative Representative Sarah Saylor:

“We are very grateful that a majority of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate took to the floor throughout the night to highlight the need for action to combat climate change. In particular, we thank those Senators who initiated the #Up4Climate effort, Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

“As we know, every day power plants dump carbon pollution into our atmosphere without limit. That is counter to the purposes of the Clean Air Act, which has proven an effective tool for reducing air pollution.

“The Environmental Protection Agency is currently working on common sense safeguards under current law to keep carbon pollution in check. However, last week, the House of Representatives voted against the steps that the Environmental Protection Agency is taking to cut carbon pollution.

“We are glad to see the Senate is poised to reject that backward-looking approach and instead work toward meeting our shared obligation to future generations to cut carbon pollution and protect our planet.”

The following Senators participated:
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. (@SenateDems & @SenatorReid)
Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill. (@SenatorDurbin)
Senator Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. (@SenSchumer)
Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash. (@PattyMurray)
Senator Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii (@BrianSchatz)
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. (@SenWhitehouse)
Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. (@EPWChairBoxer)
Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. (@SenFeinstein)
Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore. (@RonWyden)
Senator Jack Reed, D-R.I. (@SenJackReed)
Senator Bill Nelson, D-Fla. (@SenBillNelson)
Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. (@CantwellPress)
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md. (@SenatorCardin)
Senator Bernard Sanders, I-Vt. (@SenSanders)
Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. (@AmyKlobuchar)
Senator Mark Udall, D-Colo. (@MarkUdall)
Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M. (@SenatorTomUdall)
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. (@SenatorShaheen)
Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. (@SenJeffMerkley)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. (@SenGillibrand)
Senator Al Franken, D-Minn. (@FrankenCommTeam)
Senator Chris Coons, D-Del. (@SenCoonsOffice)
Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. (@SenBlumenthal)
Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn. (@ChrisMurphyCT)
Senator Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. (@MartinHeinrich)
Senator Angus King, I-Maine (@SenAngusKing)
Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va. (@SenKaineOffice)
Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. (@SenWarren)
Senator Edward J. Markey, D-Mass. (@MarkeyMemo)
Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J. (@CoryBooker & @SenBookerOfc)