Announcement was made February 15th on the floor by Congressman Henry Waxman. A “caucus” is basically an informal group of people within a bigger group, in this case 22 members have agreed to form the “Safe Climate Caucus.” These 22 Congressmen and Congresswomen will discuss climate change everyday that Congress is in session.

For comparison, out of the 435 members of Congress, the Tea Party Caucus has about 50 members and is lead by Michele Bachmann.

Most likely the Safe Climate Caucus will take to the floor and make a one minute speech about the impacts on their districts, including jobs. I’m unclear what else they will do, but more to come in the following 4 years.

For example, here is one of the first speeches on the floor by Rep. Jared Huffman. Huffman talks about the economic and environmentalproblems in his northern California district:

The goal of the caucus is to create momentum to help pass a climate change bill, one that will address emissions and emergency response (adaptation). Ideally, the long-game is to push the US back to the treaty-signing-table with the UN.

Official statement from the Congressional Record:

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, today, 22 Members of the House have banded together to create a Safe Climate Caucus to end the conspiracy of silence in this House of Representatives about the dangers of climate change and the Republican denial of its existence and their rejection of the science.

   We are committing to talk every single day on the House floor about the urgent need to address climate change. President Obama is leading the way. He says we must respond to climate change because to do otherwise would be to betray our children and future generations.

Via Library of Congress.