DOWNERS GROVE (May 18, 2018) – Illinois Sixth congressional district candidate Sean Casten today blasted Rep. Peter Roskam’s recent announcement that he’s joined the Climate Solutions Caucus in Congress as a “death-bed conversion designed to obscure his horrible record on environmental issues.”

Casten noted Roskam’s lifetime score of voting for the environment only 7 percent of the time, according to the League of Conservation Voters.  His record last year was even worse – voting only once out of 35 times on the pro-environment side.

“Just this past week, Roskam voted for an amendment to weaken the definition of what waters are protected under the Clean Water Act.  That is hardly the act of someone who’s concerned about the streams, headwaters, wetlands and other bodies that serve as a drinking water source for 117 million Americans.”

“The fact is that Peter Roskam has voted in lock-step with the anti-environmental agenda of Donald Trump and Scott Pruitt,” Casten said.  “Belatedly joining a caucus in Congress can’t undo the damage of 12 years of bad votes and poor choices.”

“The voters of the 6th District won’t be fooled by this charade,” Casten said.  “They know that Roskam consistently puts the interests of his biggest campaign contributors ahead of clean air and clean water.”

Casten pointed to campaign finance reports showing that Roskam has taken more than $340,000 in contributions from the oil and gas industry.  He noted that the Exxon-Mobil PAC is Roskam’s single largest contributor.

While Roskam has stated his belief that global warming is “junk science,” Casten has been a national leader in addressing climate change.  A scientist and entrepreneur, Casten co-founded a company to profitably reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating hundreds of jobs.

Last month, Casten received endorsements from both the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club – two leading national organizations devoted to protecting the environment.

“Voters in November can choose whether to continue down the destructive path of the Trump-Roskam attack on our environment,” Casten said.  “Or we can embrace a clean-energy future, protecting the health of our families and bringing our nation millions of good jobs.”

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