Dem Senator FURIOUS That His Luxury Climate Junket to Brazil Isn’t Being Funded by Taxpayers
These are not serious people.
This article originally appeared on m o d e r n i t y and was republished with permission.
Guest post by @ModernityNews
Rhode Island Democrat Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is seething after the State Department denied funding for his planned trip to the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, forcing the multi-millionaire lawmaker to tragically have to shell out his own cash for a lavish vacation disguised as environmental advocacy.
In a whiny video posted to X, Whitehouse—sporting his official lanyard and badge from the event—lambasted the decision, claiming it hindered congressional oversight of international climate negotiations.
“I’m here at COP30 in Brazil, but not on the taxpayers’ dime,” he griped, adding that the State Department “refused to pay for any members of Congress to come down here.”
Poor baby.
Whitehouse, whose net worth is estimated in the tens of millions from family fortunes in railroads and textiles, argued that without taxpayer support, lawmakers like him couldn’t properly monitor U.S. negotiators at the UN-backed summit.
“That’s a problem,” he declared, insisting such trips are essential for holding the administration accountable on climate deals.
The COP30 conference, held in Belém, Brazil, focuses on global efforts to combat climate change, but has long been criticized as an elite boondoggle where politicians and activists jet-set on public funds while preaching carbon reductions.
Whitehouse’s complaint highlights a shift under the Trump administration, which has vowed to slash wasteful spending and pull back from what it calls burdensome international climate pacts.
Despite his outrage, Whitehouse attended anyway—proving the trip wasn’t impossible without dipping into public coffers.
The senator, a vocal climate hawk and member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has previously pushed aggressive green policies, including carbon taxes and lawsuits against fossil fuel companies.
This isn’t Whitehouse’s first brush with controversy; he’s faced scrutiny for belonging to an exclusive, all-white beach club in Rhode Island, despite his ‘progressive’ rhetoric on equity and diversity.
As belt-tightening hits the climate grift circuit, expect more howls from entitled elites like Whitehouse, who seem shocked that the free ride is over.
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What a great message from the US wrt these Climate Summits.
To just ignore is probably the best communication of our opinion of the whole boondoggle.
Now, if we can just do the same with the UN, WEF, etc.