Weekly Briefing: Roller Coaster Of Legislative Process No Cause For Panic

October 20, 2021

In the past week, news outlets have reported several twists and turns about climate provisions being negotiated in the budget reconciliation bill. CCL VP for Government Affairs Danny Richter provides some perspective to calm your nerves in a new video.

Late last week, the New York Times reported that Sen. Joe Manchin is likely to cut the Clean Electricity Payment Plan (CEPP) that was the cornerstone of legislation to reduce carbon emissions. “This has a lot of people speaking in apocalyptic terms,” said Danny.

Although the CEPP would have helped reduce carbon emissions, Danny points out that there are other measures, such as tax incentives and a price on carbon pollution, that will achieve the 50% emissions reductions by 2030 that the U.S. has committed to.

The conversation has turned even more to carbon pricing over the last few days. The New York Times reported, following news of Manchin’s desire to drop the CEPP, that Democrats are gravitating to a carbon tax to achieve emissions reductions. However, concerns arose yesterday when Manchin said, “the carbon tax is not on the board at all right now."

“He's just saying it hasn't been discussed. He's not saying that it's dead on arrival, so I really wouldn't worry too much about this statement,” said Danny.

In wrapping up, Danny suggests several actions: Writing letters to the editor, emailing President Biden and helping with CCL’s phone banking and text banking. Get the full briefing on the latest developments with the reconciliation bill and what it all means in Danny’s new video.

Watch Danny

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In other news this week: 

About that legislative roller coaster: CCL Strategy Director Tony Sirna had some encouraging words about the latest developments surrounding climate measures in the reconciliation bill. In a post on CCL Community, Tony explains how provisions that include a carbon price can reach the goal of 50% emissions reductions by 2030. In a second post, he puts Manchin’s remarks about carbon pricing in more context, and he clarifies that the door is still open to the policy.

Editorial backs carbon price for reconciliation: CCL volunteers in Santa Rosa generated a big endorsement for carbon fee and dividend in the Press-Democrat this week. In a lead editorial, the newspaper said the reconciliation bill should include the carbon pricing policy because it is “a strategy that promises to reduce emissions, promote new technologies and put money in people’s pockets to offset the cost.”

Braver Angels workshop this weekend: Braver Angels is hosting a workshop this Sunday, Oct. 24, at 12 p.m. ET called "Bridging the Divide on Climate Solutions Workshop." While most Americans understand that climate change is real, they disagree about how to solve it. "Bridging the Divide on Climate Solutions" teaches communication skills that will allow people to talk more constructively with each other about solutions to climate change. Register here.

Book Q&A with Dr. Katharine Hayhoe: Join CCL on Oct. 27, as well as world-renowned climate scientist and CCL Advisory Board Member Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, for a CCL-exclusive one-hour conversation about her new book “Saving Us.” Join us!  

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Take action this week  

If you have a little time: Check out this tweet on Romney and carbon pricing

Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) recently did an interview with the Milken Institute about the effectiveness of carbon pricing. “Interestingly, there’s only one change that dramatically affects the amount of global emissions, and that’s a price on carbon,” Romney said. Check out CCLer Tom Moyer’s tweet with a video excerpt here.

If you have more time: Register for November Grit and Gratitude conference

We’re less than a month away from our November virtual conference, Grit & Gratitude, happening Nov. 13-14. The conference, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, provides an opportunity to celebrate this year’s accomplishments and prepare for challenges ahead. Learn more and register here.

You can also connect with your nearest CCL chapter to take action in your community, or join one of CCL’s national online Action Teams to take action on specific topics like agriculture, health, faith, and more. 

Browse CCL Community’s Event Calendar to find upcoming events, trainings, and calls you can join.

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Featured Lever This Week 

See progress with Get Loud, Take Action page

CCL recently unveiled a new webpage designed to help volunteers see all of the progress that we’re making, as well as the work that we have left to do. The page, titled “Get Loud, Take Action,” shows volunteers how close CCL is to reaching contact goals while offering volunteers shortcuts to email the President, as well as your senators and representatives. Check out the new page to see how many contacts we've made so far, and to take action yourself!

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Upcoming Trainings 

10/21: Rural Economic Benefits of Climate Policy — Join CCL Research Coordinator Jerry Hinkle for training on CCL district-specific research, emphasizing that renewable energy development offers significant economic development opportunities for rural America. Join us!              

10/28: Big Tent Climate Talks w/ National Wildlife Federation — This month's conversation will feature CCL's Senior Business Relations Manager Kyle Kammien talking with National Wildlife Federation's Shannon Heyck-Williams. Join us!     

10/28: November Lobby Training #1: Legislative Plan — Join CCL's Vice President of Government Affairs Dr. Danny Richter for a training that will provide insight on the dynamics in Congress. This training is recommended for those planning on joining their local November 2021 lobby meeting. Join us!

Need training on the basics? Catch our next session of Core Volunteer Training, made for newer volunteers:

10/26: Q&A For November Conference & Lobby Days — Are you curious about what to expect when you attend either CCL's virtual November Conference or Lobby Days? Join Amy Bennett, CCL's Director of Congressional Liaisons and Lobby Days, for the first half of the call to focus on CCL's lobby day procedures and questions. Then, for the second half, join CCL National Events Manager, Alison Kubicsko, to review the online conference details and answer related Q&A. Join us!

To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.

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This week on the CCL blog:  

CCL sends letter to Biden: Check out this press release, announcing that CCL sent a letter to President Biden and other White House officials, urging them to support climate measures in the reconciliation bill. Read more.

The value of student engagement at CCL: Former Student Engagement Director Clara Fang and new Student Engagement Manager Steffanie Munguía explain the importance of getting students and younger generations involved in combating climate change. Read more.

ICYMI — Volunteers urge grasstops to get involved in email, call campaigns: As CCLers contact Congress, many volunteers encouraged their local grasstops leaders to reach out as well. Read more.