Janelle Stelson Is A Climate Champion Who Will Protect Our Progress 

Janelle Stelson, an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist with a nearly 40-year track record of listening to Pennsylvanians and fighting to deliver them the truth, is running to represent Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional district in Congress. Stelson would be a climate champion for Pennsylvanians in Congress – she supports the most significant piece of climate legislation in our nation’s history, which ensures the U.S. transitions to clean energy and meets our climate goals. This legislation has already created two new clean energy projects, 125 jobs, and $14.2 million in private sector investments in PA-10, while saving Pennsylvanians money on their bills. Stelson has also committed to championing infrastructure projects created from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, such as the $75 million in funding to remove PFAS and “forever chemicals” in the state’s drinking water. This is especially important to PA-10, home to the Burner Island Power Plant, which contains 15 groundwater monitoring wells – 11 of which are polluted above federal advisory levels. It’s clear that Stelson would fight to protect PA-10’s environment and expand on its clean energy boom in Congress. 

In stark contrast, Representative Scott Perry, who chaired the far-right Freedom Caucus, is running for his sixth term in Congress. Throughout his tenure, Perry has been among Congress’ most outspoken climate deniers. He has questioned the role of humans in climate change, called climate change-induced storms a “myth,” and attempted to discredit a Congressional hearing on global warming by pointing out that it snows in parts of the United States. Scott Perry’s climate denial makes him uniquely unable to protect Pennsylvania from the worst effects of the climate crisis. As Chairman of the subcommittee responsible for overseeing the federal response to natural disasters, Perry stated the committee would not focus on climate change, and he even voted to delay clean air standards and cosponsored legislation prohibiting disclosure requirements for pollution. He’s so extreme that during the 2023 debt ceiling negotiations, Perry tried to leverage debt ceiling votes and risked throwing the economy into default to repeal renewable energy provisions in the clean energy plan. Perry said if he were in charge of debt ceiling negotiations, he would demand repeal of the whole clean energy plan, calling it an “awful piece of legislation.” It should come as no surprise that Perry has been well funded by  Big Oil to advance their interests – they’ve given him $215,000 in campaign contributions over his career, with Koch Industries and Exelon Corporation being among his top 10 largest donors. 

Perry is completely out of touch with Pennsylvanians and his constituents. 78% of Pennsylvanians support significantly increasing the use of renewable energy like wind and solar to generate electricity, while Perry has voted repeatedly to repeal the legislation that has led to the state’s clean energy boom. In Pennsylvania, the impacts of climate change will mean more frequent flooding, and more extremely hot days. The state’s agriculture, its economy, and people’s health will all be hurt: 

• In the past decade, Pennsylvania has experienced 56 billion-dollar climate-related disasters that caused $230 billion in damages and killed 609 people. 
• Climate change has caused Pennsylvania to see an increase in temperatures and extreme heat events, putting people’s lives at risk. In the summer of 2024, Dauphin County, which is in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, broke 8 daily heat temperature records.    
• Harrisburg, which is located in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, is experiencing warmer winters. The average winter temperature in Harrisburg has risen nearly three degrees since 1970.
• According to the 2024 State of the Air Report, Pennsylvania has some of the worst pollution in the nation. Dauphin County received a D grade for 24-hour particle pollution. 
• In 2024, the Harrisburg-York-Lebanon metropolitan area, which is located in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, was the 53rd most polluted in the U.S. for 24-hour particle pollution and 37th most polluted for annual particle pollution.   
• Pennsylvania ranks ninth in the U.S. in coal ash production, with 70 coal ash dump sites leaking pollution into groundwater across the state.
  • The Burner Island Power Plant is located south of Harrisburg and contains 15 groundwater monitoring wells, 11 of which are polluted above federal advisory levels. The site was found to have arsenic levels in the groundwater that were 23 times EPA’s safe drinking water standards. Arsenic was 23 times above the standard, Cobalt 14 times, Lithium five times, Molybdenum eight times, and Sulfate one time higher than EPA’s standards.

Advancing Climate Action

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While organizations committed to fighting climate change recognize Janelle Stelson’s commitment to doing the same, Scott Perry is among Congress’ most outspoken climate deniers – he has questioned the role of humans in climate change and called climate change-induced storms a “myth.”

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• Stelson was endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters for her commitment to fighting climate change. 
• Perry is among Congress’ most outspoken climate deniers – he has questioned the role of humans in climate change and called climate change-induced storms a “myth.”
• Perry attempted to discredit a Congressional hearing on global warming by pointing out that it snows in parts of the United States. 
• In 2017, Perry introduced a failed amendment to strip climate change reporting from the defense budget and claimed that climate change was not a national security threat.
• In 2021, Perry sponsored legislation to block the Biden-Harris administration from creating an Office of Climate Change and Health Equity in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Expanding The Clean Energy Economy

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While Janelle Stelson supports the clean energy plan, which has already created two new clean energy projects, 125 jobs, and generated $14.2 million in investments in the district, Perry has not only led efforts against clean energy implementation and voted 17 times to repeal the clean energy plan, but is so extreme that he tried to leverage debt ceiling votes and risked throwing the economy into default to repeal the bill’s renewable energy provisions. 

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• Stelson supports the clean energy plan, which has already spurred $1.09 billion in investment and helped create 2,881 new clean energy jobs in the Keystone State. 
• During the 2023 debt ceiling negotiations, Perry tried to leverage debt ceiling votes and risked throwing the economy into default to repeal renewable energy provisions in the clean energy plan. 
• Perry said if he were in charge of debt ceiling negotiations, he would demand repeal of the whole clean energy plan, calling it an “awful piece of legislation.
• In 2022 and 2024, Perry introduced bills to limit the president’s authority to utilize domestic industry to promote manufacturing of clean energy and electric vehicle components. 
• In 2023, Perry introduced a bill prohibiting the use of certain Department of Transportation grant funds to support offshore wind development, manufacturing, or deployment. 
• Perry and Republicans have voted 42 times to repeal the clean energy plan, even as the bill created two new clean energy projects, 125 jobs, and generated $14.2 million in investments in his district. 

Air & Water Pollution

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PA-10 has some of the worst pollution in the U.S. – the Harrisburg-York-Lebanon metropolitan area ranks 37th most polluted for annual particle pollution, and the Burner Island Power Plant, located south of Harrisburg, contains 15 groundwater monitoring wells, 11 of which are polluted above federal advisory levels. Stelson supports legislation that has provided Pennsylvania over $300 million to clean up the pollution left over from decades of coal mining and remove PFAS and “forever chemicals” in the state’s drinking water, while Perry has voted for legislation that would delay clean air standards. 

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• Stelson supports the clean energy plan, which provided Pennsylvania with $244 million to clean up the pollution left over from decades of coal mining. 
• Stelson said she would champion projects created from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, such as the $75 million in funding to remove PFAS and “forever chemicals” in the state’s drinking water. 
• Perry voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided the Steelton-Highspire School District, the birthplace of America’s steel industry and a place that has long relied on burning fossil fuels, with 7 electrical school buses to give students clean air while facilitating their clean energy transition.  
• Perry voted for a bill that would delay clean air standards by undermining the Environmental Protection Agency’s smog pollution standards while also allowing the agency to consider factors unrelated to health in the initial standard setting process.            
• Perry introduced an amendment that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from using Section 115 of the Clean Air Act — a provision on international air pollution — to write greenhouse gas regulations. 
• In 2023, Perry cosponsored legislation prohibiting disclosure requirements for pollution for recipients of federal contracts.      
• In 2014, Perry signed a brief opposing a plan to clean up the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
• In 2016, Perry said he opposed aiding Flint, Michigan during their water crisis because he asserted that Pennsylvanians should not be accountable for issues in other parts of the country.       
• Perry voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.                                              

Extreme Weather Events

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Scott Perry’s climate denial makes him uniquely unable to protect Pennsylvania from extreme weather events. He has called climate change-induced storms a “myth,” falsely claimed that climate change increasing the intensity of weather was “thoroughly debunked by the actual data, and as Chairman of the House committee responsible for overseeing the federal response to natural disasters, stated the committee would not focus on climate change. 

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• As Chairman of the House committee responsible for overseeing the federal response to natural disasters, Perry stated “We won’t focus on climate change – I guarantee you, we will not be focusing on climate change.”
• During a 2021 markup of disaster relief legislation, Perry falsely claimed that climate change increasing the intensity of weather was “thoroughly debunked by the actual data.”
• Perry proposed a number of amendments to bipartisan disaster relief and resilience legislation aimed at limiting its scope. 

Holding Big Oil Accountable

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Perry has been among Big Oil’s most obedient Congressmembers during his time in office. Perry cosponsored a bill that would hold back the transition to clean energy, while also supporting more oil and gas production and less pollution standards. In exchange for his dutifulness, the oil and gas industry has given Perry over $215,000 over his career, and among the top 10 largest contributors to his campaign are Koch Industries and Exelon Corporation.  

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• In 2014, Perry cosponsored the Protecting Jobs, Families, and the Economy From EPA Overreach Act, which prohibited the Environmental Protection Agency from putting in place any regulation or guidance that limits or prohibits carbon dioxide emissions unless specific certifications are met. 
• In 2014, Perry voted for the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, which entirely cut the Department of Energy out of the approval process for liquefied natural gas exports and could lead to more air and water pollution through increased fracking. 
• In 2021, Perry introduced a bill to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard program. 
• In 2022, Perry cosponsored bills requiring the Department of Interior to carry out sales and  issue decisions on drilling permits for oil and gas leases.
• In multiple Congresses, Perry introduced bills to repeal vehicle CAFE standards. 
• In 2023, Perry cosponsored a bill eliminating an Environmental Protection Agency program that provides incentives for fossil fuel systems to reduce their pollution. 
• In 2023, Perry cosponsored Protecting American Energy Production Act, which prohibited the president from declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing. 
• Perry has called for more natural gas production in Pennsylvania and the United States. 
• Perry has taken over $215,000 from the oil and gas industry over his career, the 6th most of any industry group. 
• Among the top 10 contributors to Perry’s campaigns are oil and gas companies Koch Industries and Exelon Corporation.