Vitter: Climate change evidence often ‘ridiculous pseudo-science garbage’

Evidence from liberals supporting climate change is often based on “ridiculous pseudo-science garbage,” Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) charged Friday.

Vitter openly mocked an assertion by his Senate colleague Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who said she can feel a change in climate as manifested by increased turbulence in her plane flights.

“Unfortunately, that’s sort of the ridiculous pseudo-science garbage that’s so common on the left on this issue,” Vitter said in an interview with a conservative news radio syndicate. “The real truth is getting out there, and I think citizens are really starting to push back.”

“I think there is beginning to be a serious reconsideration of the science of this,” Vitter added, saying that supposed growing skepticism of climate change was helping fuel Republican opposition to the cap-and-trade bill before Congress.

Vitter insisted that the month of September, during which the Senate will reconvene after its recess, would be a “critical period” for the advancement of the bill.

The conservative Louisianan expected the cap-and-trade bill would easily pass out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in September, but face a much more difficult time on the Senate floor.

The climate change bill is one of President Obama and congressional Democrats’ top legislative priorities this year. The House passed a preliminary version of the cap-and-trade bill by a narrow margin in late June.

Vitter was confident senators would be able to block a vote on the legislation, though.

“I am very hopeful that we can block draconian legislation on the Senate floor, and that we can prevent it from getting 60 votes,” he said. “I think there are several Democrats from the upper Plains states, from the Midwest, also my colleague Mary Landrieu from Louisiana, who are going to have a very difficult time supporting this.”