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House Science Committee has paid more attention to aliens than climate change

Climate change is the most pressing scientific issue today, yet those responsible for addressing the issue in Congress aren't doing much.

By Aileen Graef

WASHINGTON, May 22 (UPI) -- The House committee for Science, Space, and Technology has held more hearings on finding extraterrestrial life than the repercussions of climate change.

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the committee is a known climate change skeptic. In the 113th Congress, Smith has held 15 hearings with three on the subject of finding evidence of extraterrestrial life and two on the repercussions of climate change.

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Smith is not the only one at fault. During this Congress, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has held only one hearing on climate change, and the House Natural Resources Committee has not yet addressed the issue in this Congress.

There are several climate change skeptics and deniers on the science committee. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc., has called evidence on climate change an "international scientific fraud."

The Senate side, though not as rife with climate change skeptics, has not done much more.

The Senate Commerce Science and Space Subcommittee has only held one hearing on climate change. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee addressed it last in 2012. Leading the pack, he Environment and Public Works Committee has held three hearings in the 113th Congress.

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