James Inhofe is a Republican Senator representing Oklahoma. He has held his position since 1994. He is also a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
Senator Inhofe is one of the most conservative members in the U.S. Congress. In regard to climate change, he is the government's most outspoken critic of the science, and frequently uses the Senate floor as platform to spread misinformation about climate change and to oppose any government action to address global warming.
According to Oil Change International, Sen. Inhofe has received more than $1.3 million in contributions from the oil and gas industry since 1999. The largest donor on his list is Koch Industries, which has given him $67,750.
In exchange for their generosity, Inhofe has been one of the industry's most loyal soldiers in the House of Representatives.
A look at Senator Inhofe's voting on major energy bills since 2005 shows an incredible pattern. He has voted in favor of all pro-fossil fuel legislation, including approving the Keystone XL, opening up more of the continental outer shelf to offshore drilling, and expediting the development of shale gas production. Conversely, he has voted against every piece of legislation aimed at reducing emissions and fossil fuel consumption.
Inhofe has issued a litany of egregious climate change statements, which you can see here. His most famous quote, however, is this:
"With all of the hysteria, all of the fear, all of the phony science, could it be that man-made global warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people? It sure sounds like it."
Ironically, in 2008, as the Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Inhofe introduced a report to the committee which claimed "650 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims." Investigation debunked the report, as it was littered with individuals with no experience in climate science. Senator Inhofe still lists the report on his website, despite its proven lack of credibility. The report has now grown to include over 1,000 "scientists."
