Aaron Flint, the Republican nominee for Montana's 1st Congressional District, called the repeal of the endangerment finding "incredible news for Montana" on his radio show in February 2026. That repeal ended federal greenhouse gas limits for cars and trucks, and the Institute for Policy Integrity counts early deaths from air pollution among its costs.
Flint's campaign also defends the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which ends the tax credits for wind, solar and electric vehicles. On public lands, he now says he will protect them, but in 2014 and 2015 he backed moving federal land in Montana to state control; 84% of Montana voters support "banning the sale or transfer of public lands," a 2026 University of Montana survey found.
Aaron Flint's Statements on the Endangerment Finding, Clean Energy and Public Lands
- Flint Called the Repeal of the Endangerment Finding "Incredible News for Montana" in February 2026. Aaron Flint told Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on his statewide radio show, in an exchange he posted on February 19, 2026: "The repeal of the endangerment finding, this is incredible news for Montana and the Rocky Mountain West." EPA's final rule of February 18, 2026 rescinded the 2009 scientific finding, so EPA no longer limits the greenhouse gases that new cars and trucks emit. The Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University, in its tracker updated in April 2026, estimates that repealing the car and light-truck standards puts 2,577 premature deaths a year at risk and gives up $10.9 billion a year in health benefits from cleaner air.
- Flint Defends the Law That Ends Clean Energy Tax Credits and Slows the Cut in Climate Pollution. In a campaign release on October 13, 2026, Aaron Flint's campaign faulted his Democratic opponent, Sam Forstag, because he "has promised to repeal the One Big Beautiful Bill," and said Flint would put the law's rural health money to work. That law ends the credits for electric vehicles and home solar, and cuts off the wind and solar power credits for projects that begin construction after July 4, 2026 unless they are placed in service by the end of 2027. Rhodium Group projects that, with the law, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2035 will be 27 to 44 percent below 2005 levels, compared with 38 to 56 percent before it, as Scientific American reported: more of the heat-trapping pollution stays in the air each year.
- Flint Says He Will Protect Public Lands After Years of Calling for Federal Land to Go to the State. Aaron Flint posted on March 17, 2026 that he would "fight to protect our public lands," adding that he already had, as Public Domain reported. In a 2014 interview with the Property and Environment Research Center, Flint said: "If the state of Montana is doing a better job managing their land, then why do we want the federal government to own the land." In a 2015 post he wrote that "many Montanans want to transfer it from the bankrupting fed govt to state owned public land." A University of Montana survey released on April 22, 2026 showed 84% of Montana voters in favor of a ban on selling or transferring public lands.
- Flint's Campaign Did Not Answer Whether He Disavows His Past Calls for Land Transfers, in April 2026. Aaron Flint's campaign did not respond to Public Domain's questions, published April 30, 2026, about whether he disavows his earlier statements backing the transfer of federal land to the state, or whether his views have changed. Public Domain wrote that moving federal land to state control would take it out of the wider public's hands and could lead to its sale to private owners.
Frequently Asked Questions About Aaron Flint on Climate and the environment
What is Aaron Flint's record on climate and the environment under Trump?
Aaron Flint praised EPA's February 2026 repeal of the endangerment finding, which ended federal greenhouse gas standards for vehicles, and his campaign defends the law that ends clean energy tax credits. He backed transferring federal land in Montana to the state in 2014 and 2015, and in 2026 his campaign did not say whether he disavows those statements. Rhodium Group projects the law leaves U.S. emissions in 2035 well above where they were headed before it.
Aaron Flint says the endangerment finding repeal saves pickup buyers money. What do analysts find?
Aaron Flint said on February 19, 2026 that after the repeal, drivers "could save 1000s of dollars" on new pickups. The Institute for Policy Integrity counts $11.4 billion a year in consumer savings that the repealed car and light-truck standards would have delivered and that drivers now lose.
What else has Aaron Flint said about moving federal land to Montana?
Aaron Flint said in a 2014 interview that "If you really were an environmentalist, you would be supporting efforts to get some of this federal land back into state hands," and in another 2014 post he argued that Land and Water Conservation Fund money "should be used to transfer more fed lands into state lands," Public Domain reported. That fund uses oil and gas revenue to buy and protect land for public use.
Last updated: 2026-10-26