Last week Rex Tillerson had a very bad day on Capitol Hill. He faced tough questions on ExxonMobil’s climate record and human rights abuses, then effectively pled the 5th when questioned about Exxon’s climate cover-up.
Tillerson’s nomination is weakening because people are standing up and demanding Senators ask tough questions. This week EPA nominee Scott Pruitt — who has spent his entire career trying to undermine the agency he is supposed to oversee — goes under oath.
Here’s what we’ve done so far, before Trump even takes the oath of office:
In December, we held a climate science teach-in outside of Donald Trump’s transition headquarters in Washington DC:
The very first day that the Senate returned to session, thousands of calls flooded the phone lines, and we announced a national day of action against Trump’s cabinet. The national wave of #DayAgainstDenial actions were the first coordinated grassroots push against Trump’s cabinet:
The very next day, folks in DC held a rally with nearly 200 people, including a dozen people dressed as “T-Rex” dinosaurs outside of Rex Tillerson’s hearing that got tons of great news coverage:
Once inside the Capitol, pressure on Tillerson didn’t let up. Senator Tim Kaine specifically asked about the #ExxonKnew climate coverup scandal, forcing Tillerson into his most awkward moment of the hearing. Several Greenpeace activists who have been directly affected by Exxon’s pollution interrupted his testimony too.
Donald Trump may be taking the oath of office this week, but he has not won the trust, support or consent of the American people. The protests against his racist, sexist fossil fuel agenda will not let up. Opposition will grow, starting from the very first moment he takes office.
If we stay loud, we can make a big difference and limit the damage Trump can do. Thank you for continuing to stand up.
Duncan