Washington, D.C. — John Podesta, founder and the chairman of the board of directors at the Center for American Progress, will testify as an expert witness at a Montana federal court hearing this week on behalf of youth plaintiffs challenging a series of President Donald Trump’s executive orders on energy.
The hearing in Lighthiser v. Trump on September 16–17 will consider a request for an injunction blocking executive orders that fast-track the fossil fuel development, muzzle government climate science, and suppress clean energy. The youth plaintiffs argue that these orders violate their most fundamental constitutional rights to life and liberty. With the science clear and the harms already underway, the court will be asked to decide whether the government can knowingly endanger children’s lives in order to protect fossil fuel profits.
Among the plaintiffs are young leaders who won a landmark victory in 2023 in Held v. Montana, where the court ruled that the Montana Environmental Policy Act was unconstitutional and that Montana’s constitutional right to a healthful environment includes climate. In Lighthiser v. Trump, they are again leading the charge—this time in federal court—standing up for themselves and their futures, which are threatened by government-sanctioned harm.
“I’m proud to speak on behalf of these young plaintiffs about the devastating impact of these executive orders,” Podesta said. “The plaintiffs make a compelling case that these orders will only make the climate crisis worse, putting at risk the health, safety, and economic well-being of these young people as well as their families and communities. With the stroke of a pen, this president has taken action that has terrible consequences—slashing environmental protections, firing staff, and undermining science—resulting in real harm to people. This is a president who is taking us backward instead of addressing the substantial harms that climate change is already causing.”
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].