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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
URGING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO REJECT LEGAL IMMUNITY FOR BIG OIL AND FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES
WHEREAS, Chicago, Illinois, and communities across the country are taking Big Oil companies to court for lying to the public about their products harming the planet; and
WHEREAS, evidence from internal documents, independent investigations and scientific studies confirm the fossil fuel industry understood the link between burning fossil fuels and climate change from at least the 1960’s; and
WHEREAS, a 2024 joint investigation by Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, entitled “Denial, Disinformation, and Doublespeak: Big Oil’s Evolving Efforts to Avoid Accountability for Climate Change,” revealed fossil fuel companies worked for decades to undermine public understanding, explicitly deny basic science principles underlying climate change, and then developed a campaign of deception and disinformation; and
WHERE AS, the fossil fuel industry is lobbying Congress to issue a federal legal liability waiver that will stop local governments from holding them accountable; and
WHEREAS, the American Petroleum Institute, the largest oil and gas trade association in the country and a defendant in Chicago’s climate accountability lawsuit, has publicly announced that stopping “state climate lawsuits” against fossil fuel companies is a top priority for the industry; and
WHEREAS, if the fossil fuel industry persuades Congress to pass legislation granting it sweeping immunity from climate litigation, it will deny states, cities, and communities access to the court system seeking redress for climate-related harms; and
WHEREAS, U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) recently announced she is working with House and Senate colleagues to craft federal legislation aimed at “tackling” climate accountability lawsuits and climate superfund bills; and
WHEREAS, Rep. Hageman’s comments follow a letter last year from a group of Republican attorneys general urging the creation of a federal "liability shield" similar to the one Congress granted gunmakers in 2005; and
WHEREAS, federal climate protection rollbacks, including the recent withdrawal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 “endangerment finding,” (stating greenhouse gases endanger public health) have underscored the need for state and local leadership to protect our residents and the environment; and
WHEREAS, the mounting threat of climate change is felt firsthand in Illinois, as heat waves, worsening floods, severe storms, and extreme weather events devastate communities throughout the State, overburdening neighbors and local governments with skyrocketing costs to recover, respond, and adapt to an escalating crisis; and
WHEREAS, in 2025 alone, climate and weather-related disasters in the United States caused an estimated $115 billion in damages, contributing to more than $3 trillion in cumulative losses since 1980, with rising disaster costs causing higher home insurance premiums, increased utility bills, and mounting public infrastructure expenses; and
WHEREAS, fossil fuel companies have known for decades that burning fossil fuels posed catastrophic risks to the global climate, yet chose to mislead the public, protect their profits, and delay the transition to cleaner energy; and
WHEREAS, nine Democratic-led states have already sued fossil fuel companies over climate change, along with dozens of municipalities around the country, and the Trump administration pre-emptively sued Hawaii and Michigan to try to stop them from suing oil companies; and
WHEREAS, earlier this year, Michigan filed suit against oil and gas companies claiming they conspired to sabotage the renewable energy transition, while contributing to a climate crisis. Michigan’s lawsuit claims anticompetitive conduct against BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, and their chief lobby group, the American Petroleum Institute (API) alleging a conspiracy to delay the energy transition, in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and Clayton Antitrust Act and the Michigan Antitrust Reform Act; and
WHEREAS, on April 8, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Protecting American Energy from State Overreach,” attacking state and local laws seeking damages from fossil fuel companies, and ordering the Attorney General of the United States to inhibit them; and
WHEREAS, in January 2026, a federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s motions, allowing Michigan to continue the lawsuit against oil and gas companies for the effects of climate change; and
WHEREAS, states across the country are increasingly advancing climate change superfund legislation, requiring fossil fuel companies to contribute financially to mitigation costs; and
WHEREAS, New York and Vermont enacted climate change superfund laws in 2024 and Rhode Island, Maine, Washington, D.C. are considering similar measures; and
WHEREAS, Illinois lawmakers are also considering climate superfund legislation. The Climate Change Superfund Act (SB 2981 / HB 4773) creates the superfund, financed by payments from entities deemed responsible for climate change, to support climate resilient infrastructure and mitigation efforts; and
WHEREAS, empirical data demonstrates approximately one-third of Americans breathe unhealthy air, with racial and ethnic minorities disproportionately exposed to fine particulate pollution, contributing to shortened life expectancy and adverse health outcomes; and
WHEREAS, historical redlining and discriminatory housing policies have contributed to environmental inequities, including higher exposure to air and water pollution, urban heat islands, and reduced green space in Black and Brown communities across Cook County and Chicago; and
WHEREAS, under the proposed Climate Superfund Act, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency would determine liability, set payment amounts, and direct spending, with at least 40% of funds allocated to projects benefiting disadvantaged communities; and
WHEREAS, granting fossil fuel companies immunity from climate-related claims would preempt and nullify state and local authority, interfere with consumer protection laws, and deny communities their ability to seek justice in court; and
WHEREAS, granting fossil fuel companies blanket immunity will shift the potential financial burden of climate damages from corporate polluters to governments and taxpayers; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, this body urges members of the United States Congress to reject all legislation granting fossil fuel companies immunity from climate-related lawsuits or shield them from legal and legislative accountability; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this body opposes federal efforts to preempt, nullify, or interfere with state and local authority to enforce consumer protection laws, pursue climate accountability litigation, or enact climate superfund legislation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be tendered to the Illinois Congressional delegation, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Majority and Minority Leaders.
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