Green groups look to buy ‘Senate firewall’ (including Martin Heinrich) against Trump’s fossil-fuels agenda

Green groups are opening their checkbooks ahead of the high-stakes November midterm elections, dolling out hundreds of thousands to protect what they call a “Senate firewall” against President vpro-fossil fuels agenda. Rather than trying to unseat top GOP targets like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the country’s leading environmental organizations say this year is about defending some of their favorite Senate Democrats who are on the ballot. Top beneficiaries are Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who represents a state President Trump won in 2016 and who is considered a prime target for the GOP this year. “Big picture, the NRDC Action Fund is focused first and foremost on the Senate firewall, which is maintaining 41-plus votes in the Senate who will stand up against assaults on the environment. That’s our political priority No. 1,” said Kevin Curtis, executive director of the powerful Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund “It’s more about protecting folks who have done the right thing on the environment, showing up and making sure they know we have their backs.”...MORE