Two Senate Democrats are advancing legislation to reclassify “extreme heat” as a federally recognized disaster — a move critics say is part of a broader agenda to expand government control under the banner of climate change.

Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced the so-called Extreme Heat Emergency Act, a bill that would amend the Stafford Act to allow the president to declare a “major disaster” in cases of high temperatures, thereby triggering FEMA support and taxpayer funding.

“Extreme heat kills more Americans every year than any other kind of extreme weather,” Gallego said in a press release. “But still, the federal government sits on the sidelines.”

Gallego and Rosen argue that the legislation would help local communities “respond and prepare” for heat waves — but opponents warn it’s just another ploy to funnel billions toward left-wing green initiatives while bypassing fiscal restraint.

The bill comes amid a full-court press by Democrats to use “climate change” as justification for expanding Washington’s reach into everything from energy consumption to land use.

Rosen cited statistics claiming over 500 heat-related deaths in one Nevada county last year, while Gallego’s office reported 608 heat-related deaths in Maricopa County, Arizona, in 2024, with hundreds more under investigation.

“By classifying extreme heat as a major disaster, our communities will be able to receive the federal funding needed to respond and prepare,” Rosen said.

The companion bill in the House is being championed by Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), with the usual chorus of climate-aligned bureaucrats and activists cheering it on.

Supporters include Arizona’s chief health officer Dr. Eugene Livar, Federation of American Scientists climate advisor Hannah Safford, and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, who called the bill a “life-saving reform.”

But critics say it’s less about safety and more about control. The legislation would open the door for unelected federal officials to declare “climate emergencies” in perpetuity — handing out funding with little oversight while blaming industry for weather patterns.

Sen. Gallego has introduced a flurry of related proposals, including the Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act, which would fund urban landscaping and so-called “heat island” projects, and the Extreme Heat Economic Study Act, a call for more government-funded research into how heat affects society.

Another bill, the LIHEAP Parity Act, would redistribute energy assistance funds from colder states to hot-weather regions like Arizona — a move likely to spark backlash from Northern and Midwestern states already struggling with energy costs.

Climate Litigation War Heats Up

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to take up legal challenges to a barrage of climate lawsuits targeting oil companies, leaving the door open for states and left-wing cities to demand massive payouts for alleged climate-related damages.

The lawsuits aim to hold energy companies “liable” for the weather — a strategy conservative critics say is designed to bankrupt fossil fuel producers and force consumers to pay higher prices.

“Consumers are not helped by these cases, which seek to wipe products from store shelves and funnel money to left-wing causes,” said O.H. Skinner, executive director of the Alliance for Consumers.

Skinner’s organization released a report detailing the dark money funding driving these lawsuits, revealing an elaborate web of left-wing advocacy groups bankrolling climate litigation across the country.

“Here is hoping the targets of these lawsuits continue to fight these cases,” Skinner added. “That is the only way for consumers not to be sacrificed before the left-wing onslaught here.”

According to Skinner, if the lawsuits succeed, oil companies will either be forced to stop producing oil altogether or invest in expensive, bureaucratic emissions controls — costs that will inevitably be passed down to everyday Americans at the pump and in their utility bills.