Democrats are scrapping a long-planned delegation to the COP30 climate talks in Brazil, as House lawmakers prepare to return to Washington in coming days to vote on reopening the federal government.
The annual climate negotiations, which kicked off in Belém on Monday, typically draws a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers.
But individual lawmakers began canceling their trips in recent weeks as the shutdown made it logistically difficult to travel. Now, the sole remaining delegation — led by the nonprofit arm of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) — officially canceled its trip Monday, in anticipation of House votes to end the federal shutdown.
“It’s disappointing that members of the House of Representatives will no longer be able to travel to COP30 due to the ongoing shutdown dynamics,” said Max Frankel, the SEEC Institute’s executive director, in a statement. The institute is the nonprofit arm of the House coalition.
