Climate change is not a hoax. It's real, but it's not mankind's fault.
That's the official take of the U.S. Senate, which voted overwhelmingly, 98-1, that climate change is real, including a surprising "yes" vote by Oklahoma GOP Sen. Jim Inhofe, who even wrote a book entitled, "The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future",
NPR reported.
The
amendment, attached to a bill approving construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, reads: "To express the sense of the Senate that climate change is real and not a hoax."
The amendment offered by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., encountered only one opposition vote — from Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.,
The Washington Post notes.
Inhofe tweeted Senatorial colleagues before the vote, stating: "Senators — join me in voting YES on Whitehouse's amdmnt saying climate change is a hoax, bc it is. I'll address my vote in floor speech soon," the Post reported.
From the floor, Inhofe stated: "The hoax is that there are some people who are so arrogant to think they are so powerful that they can change climate. Man cannot change climate," NPR reported.
However, as to who is actually to blame for climate change and global warming, the Senate took another tack, voting down an amendment by Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., which placed the blame for climate change on human activity, and another from Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, which said humans are "significantly responsible" for climate change, even though the amendments drew support from several Republicans.
Laura Sheehan, speaking for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, said Schatz's amendment means he "would rather exacerbate ideological divisions than come together and make meaningful progress on a measure that will help the very base his party claims to support,"
Politico reports.
Sen. John McCain, who voted in favor of Hoeven's amendment, commented on the Democrats' proposals, saying "it's OK with me if they do messaging if it makes them feel better. I don't think anybody disputes that it's real. The question is what you do about it," Politico reported.
Republicans who voted for the amendment saying humans are "significantly" to blame for global warming included Sens. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Mark Kirk of Illinois, Politico said.
Franz Matzner, of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement: "But what's their plan to do something about it? Republican leaders still are trying to block any and all solutions, and putting our children's health at risk," Politico noted.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.