GA Republicans: "Drill Baby Drill" But Not Off OUR Coast; Oh, And Global Warming Might Be Real

Slowly, carefully, Republicans in Georgia are shifting on the topic of climate change, taking care not to offend the fellow in the White House — the one who has claimed it’s a Chinese hoax.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, a Republican whose congressional district encompasses the 100-mile Georgia coast, is only one of those in transition. Last month, Carter was appointed to a select congressional committee on global warming – and in the process, confessed that “climate change is real and the need to protect our environment is real.” The problem, he said, is how to address the situation without killing the U.S. economy.

Last week, Carter again made news. The Savannah area congressman maintains that he remains a “drill, baby, drill” Republican, but he penned a letter to the acting secretary of the interior, asking that his state be excluded from Trump administration plans to allow for the exploration of oil off the Atlantic coast. Carter explained that he had undergone no change in philosophy. He had not succumbed to any desire to wean the earth away from fossil fuels. Rather, Carter pointed to a resolution passed by the state House in Atlanta one day earlier, opposing offshore drilling.

EDIT

The resolution to oppose oil exploration off the Georgia coast passed the entire House on the last day of the 2019 session, on a 125-36 vote. Every “no” vote was cast by a Republican. Nineteen lawmakers were excused from voting, or simply did not vote. Most of those were Republican, too. In other words, the House Republican caucus was split neatly in half by the issue. But if the Republican party is to avoid a drubbing in 2020, nationally and in Georgia, it must find topics that can attract independents and resonate with white, college-educated women who are disillusioned with Trump.

EDIT

https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/georgia-republicans-tiptoe-toward-the-conclusion-that-climate-change-real/6eMae8zrTwfLd16ItQqMfN/