Center for Climate Integrity

The Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026, introduced earlier this month by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), would shield some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies from laws and lawsuits that could make them pay billions of dollars in climate damages, nearly half a century after Exxon scientists first predicted the dangers of burning fossil fuels.

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🎨: Tess Abbot. 📸: Tom Witham/USDA and Gage Skidmore/Flickr.

Republican lawmakers have introduced sweeping legislation in the House and Senate to put Big Oil above the law.

The bills—also dubbed the “Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026”—would dismiss existing climate accountability lawsuits and prohibit new legal action against the fossil fuel industry, leaving everyday Americans on the hook for all of the costs of climate change.

“Polluters should pay for the climate damage they caused, not taxpayers,” told Newsday in a statement.