The midterm elections of November 2014 swept Republicans into a firm majority in the United States Senate and House of Representatives. In early 2015, as President Obama formulated his Clean Power Plan to limit carbon emissions to combat the impacts of climate change, some congressional leaders dismissed climate change as a hoax. Scientists create knowledge outside of the political arena, but can they find common ground with lawmakers to create solutions? This is the story of my experience as a

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... climate scientist in Congress, as part of Climate Science Day on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., on 11 February 2015, a Congressional Visits Day (CVD) organized by several scientific organizations including the American Meteorological Society. Our team of three scientists along with a science policy expert spent a day in Senate and House offices to build a base of connection and trust. The heart of the story is a scientist's foray into learning to communicate inside the political big top. The stakes are high. Will climate science survive its death-defying leap into policy?