Weekly Briefing: Seven More Cosponsors For Energy Innovation And Carbon Dividend Act 

April 14, 2021

The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 2307), introduced April 1 with 28 cosponsors, has gained seven new cosponsors in recent days. These new cosponsors joined other supporters of the bill primarily because of the lobbying efforts of CCL volunteers.

Since the bill was reintroduced, 2,202 CCL volunteers have sent 6,880 messages to members of Congress asking them to support the legislation. Thirty-six House members have now attached their name to the bill, which is sponsored by Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22).

The new cosponsors are Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Andy Levin (MI-09), David Trone (MD-06), Susan Wild (PA-07), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Linda Sanchez (CA-38) and Thomas Suozzi (NY-03). You can tweet your appreciation to them with our online action tool.

More good news: Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry last week told reporters that President Biden supports carbon pricing and “that at some point in time, we need to find out a way to have a price on carbon that's effective."

In an article posted on E&E News, Rep. Scott Peters, an original cosponsor of the Energy Innovation Act, said, “For my own part, I've indicated that I can't imagine a climate policy portfolio that can be effective without including a price on carbon. I've told [the president] that's a priority for me."  Read the Article!
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In other news:

Register for June Conference: Make plans to attend our virtual conference on June 12, “The Push for a Price on Carbon,” featuring Jerry Taylor from Niskanen Center, Jasmine Sanders from Our Climate, and Adele Morris from the Brookings Institution. Registration is free and includes the option of attending an in-depth Sunday seminar. Lobby meetings will be scheduled by local chapters. Register now.

Postcards to President Biden: Our postcard campaign to let President Biden know that carbon pricing is popular is in full swing. At last count, 623 cards have been sent to the White House. Thanks to the app MyPostcard, CCL volunteers can send a postcard free of charge from their phone, like this card from a volunteer in western North Carolina. Complete instructions for using the app and sending a card can be found on CCL Community. Send a postcard!

Businesses support strong action: More than 300 businesses, including major companies like Google and Walmart, sent a letter to President Biden urging him to go big on U.S. climate ambition, asking him to commit America to reducing carbon emissions 50% by 2030. Anne Kelly from Ceres, which organized the letter, said, “This signals a major shift in the corporate community’s understanding of the urgency of climate change as a systemic financial risk.” Read more.

Conversations on race: This Saturday, CCL continues its series of monthly conversations about the intersectionality of race, culture and climate. These conversations will help our members to gain insights about yourself to build strength as a climate activist. Register here.

Series on diversity: This Sunday, CCL’s Diversity Fellows are launching a series of monthly education and roundtable discussions on topics relating to diversity and inclusion. The series, which is open to everyone, will be held in two installments on the third and fourth Sunday of each month. The first topic is Environmental Justice and Racial Justice: How Are They Connected? Get information for session 1 here and session 2 here.

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Take action this week 

If you have a little time: Watch and share CCL’s national call with Rev. Franklin Ruff, pastor of First Baptist Church in Stillwell, Kansas, who is also a co-chair of the Braver Angels Kansas City Alliance. He talked about the importance of listening to each other and seeking common ground.

If you have more time: Join our April 20 webinar with Philadelphia TV Meteorologist Tammie Souza, who will discuss how climate change is covered by TV stations in Chicago and Philadelphia. This webinar is hosted by the CCL Meteorologist Outreach Action Team. Learn more and add to your own calendar. 

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We wildly surpassed our March goal!

We did it! We’re thrilled to announce that we not only met, but greatly exceeded our March fundraising goal of $10,000 in new monthly donations. The thermometer hit $10,000 on March 26 and then ultimately $14,552 by April 1, thanks to the amazing contributions of our Evergreen Donors! 

And thanks to a generous group of our Climate Guardian Donors, all monthly donations to both CCL and CCE were triple matched in March and will continue to be triple matched through May. We’re so grateful for this incredible gift match opportunity! 

We continue to be inspired by our supporters. Thank you to each of you for your meaningful gifts and commitment to a livable planet. We look forward to making substantial progress over the course of this next year, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without you. As Evergreen Donor Carson Schubert said, “Let's make 2021 the year for bold climate action!”

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This week on the CCL Blog 

Young conservatives lobby Congress: Republican members of Congress heard from an influential constituency during CCL’s March lobbying: young conservatives. Caroline Martin, a Conservative Fellow with CCL, tells how the effort came together and what it meant for Republicans to hear from them. Read more.

Pastor teams up with CCL: After Rev. Louis R. Tillman, pastor of St. Philip's Lutheran Church in Baltimore, learned about CCL and participated in a workshop, he started collaborating with the local chapter to generate media and lobby Congressman Kweisi Mfume to endorse the Energy innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Read more.