Letitia James Puts Radical Climate Change Agenda Over Jobs, Wastes Taxpayer Dollars

New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced that she is co-leading a nationwide coalition of attorneys general, local governments, and environmental advocates in opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to eliminate the 2009 Endangerment Finding. That landmark determination formally concluded that greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change and threaten public health and welfare.

In a statement accompanying the coalition’s letter to the EPA, James declared,

“Climate change is real, it is dangerous, and it is already hurting communities in New York and across the nation. With this reckless proposal, the EPA is ignoring science in favor of abandoning its responsibility to protect the American people. Rolling back these critical protections would worsen asthma, heart disease, and premature deaths, and put vulnerable communities at even greater risk. My office will always fight to defend science, protect public health, and hold the federal government accountable.”

The coalition argues that removing the Endangerment Finding would not only defy established science but also contradict settled law and Supreme Court precedent. They warn that such a reversal would expose millions of Americans to heightened risks from climate change, particularly children, the elderly, and low-income populations.

Alongside its opposition to the EPA’s plan, the coalition also issued a second letter emphasizing the importance of preserving federal vehicle emissions standards. According to the group, weakening these protections would violate the Clean Air Act, threaten public health, and undermine the competitiveness of U.S. automakers in global markets.

Earlier this month, James also spearheaded a similar multistate effort pushing back against a Department of Energy Climate Working Group report that endorsed the EPA’s rollback. The attorneys general contend that the DOE report was compiled by climate skeptics, lacked peer review, and contained factual errors.

James underscored the dangers of delaying action on climate change, pointing to the sharp increase in billion-dollar weather disasters and heat-related deaths New York has experienced over the past two decades.

The coalition is co-led by attorneys general from California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, with participation from 21 states, the District of Columbia, and several large municipalities.

Together, they are urging the EPA to withdraw its proposal and reaffirm its legal duty to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

Letitia James Puts Radical Climate Change Agenda Over Jobs, Wastes Taxpayer Dollars