Dems in Congress schmooze with confrontational eco-activists who've targeted colleagues
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., with eco-activists belonging to Climate Defiance. (Courtesy Climate Defiance via X)
By Nick Pope
Daily Caller News Foundation
Two sitting Democratic members of Congress attended a weekend fundraiser for a disruptive eco-activist group that has targeted their colleagues in the Senate and Biden administration officials, according to pictures posted to X, formerly Twitter.
Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan attended a fundraising confab for Climate Defiance, according to an email sent out by the group obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation and a post on its X account. The group has made headlines in recent months for disruptively protesting against Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, crashing a House office building, attempting to shut down meetings and events of the Federal Reserve and interrupting events featuring several high-ranking officials within the Biden administration, including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Revolution is brewing here,” the group stated in the caption of its X post.
In its email recapping the evening, the group said that Tlaib delivered remarks and described her as “a leader in the fight for environmental justice” and called Khanna “a fierce fighter of fossil fuel infrastructure.”
An evening we will never forget. 100 of our supporters turned out to help get our new group off the ground.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib joined. Congressman Ro Khanna joined. Human rights leader Steven Donziger joined.
Revolution is brewing here. Buckle up! pic.twitter.com/8Dqu9nH2hH
— Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) October 29, 2023
“Rep. Khanna is a strong defender of Americans’ First Amendment rights. Our country has a long history of peaceful protest and it is a fundamental part of what makes us great,” a spokesperson for Khanna told the DCNF. “Climate Defiance has been engaged in peaceful protest to try and move Congress to act on climate and he appreciates their courage and urgency.”
Climate Defiance described itself as a “scrappy, nimble, volunteer-powered group” in its recap email. However, the group is one of numerous confrontational eco-activism groups that receives funding from Climate Emergency Fund (CEF), a nonprofit which receives tax-deductible donations from many wealthy American liberals, such as Hollywood writer Adam McKay, “Succession” star Jeremy Strong and failed 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s Onward Together organization, according to CEF’s 2022 annual report.
About 100 people attended the event, according to the X post, and they were able to net approximately $10,000 in donations to support their activities, according to the recap email. The group linked to its digital fundraising portal in the recap message for people who did not attend but would still like to contribute to their fund, which is titled “Climate Defiance Fund to Make Climate Cowards Lives Fucking Hell.”
“We need consistent, mass-turnout, nonviolent disruption to stop business as usual and compel politicians to act” against “an existential crisis that threatens every fiber of every being in every corner of the world,” according to its website.
Neither Tlaib’s office nor Climate Defiance responded immediately to requests for comment.
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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