Weekly Briefing: Call your senator: Congress is nearing a decision
November 3, 2021
As negotiations on the budget reconciliation bill reach the final stages, CCL launched a campaign this week to call Senate and House offices for one last push to include a price on carbon in the legislative package.
Last week, Senate Democrats released the framework for their budget reconciliation bill, which included $555 billion for climate and clean energy investments. CCL responded with a statement:
“But this isn’t really about the dollars we spend — it’s about emissions we cut. President Biden has pledged to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030. We are concerned that the investments listed in this framework will not reduce emissions enough to keep that promise.”
On a call Tuesday evening attended by more than 500 volunteer leaders, CCL Director of Government Affairs Jennifer Tyler said, “Congress is n
earing a decision, and we still have a window to make an impact.”
CCL Strategy Director Tony Sirna outlined the campaign to generate hundreds of calls to senators and representatives: “We want them to know that the public wants more on climate than the framework has in it right now. We want a carbon fee and dividend.”
It’s imperative that the U.S. meet its commitment to reduce carbon emissions 50% by 2030, and a price on carbon will ensure we reach that goal. If one or both of your senators are Democrats, call them now using CCL’s online tool and then ask others to call, too. After that, call your House member to support a price on carbon and the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
_________________________________________________________________________
In other news this week: 
White House campaign successful: Several weeks ago, we launched a campaign to have 20,000 people email President Biden and urge him to support a price on carbon in the budget reconciliation. As of Tuesday, 20,142 people have contacted the president. Keep those emails coming! If you haven’t written yet, you can still send a message with our online tool.
Mark’s op-ed in The Hill: Just before President Biden headed to Glasgow for COP26, CCL Executive Director Mark Reynolds published an op-ed in The Hill saying that to lead the world on climate, the president needs a carbon price: “The best way to show the world that America is serious about climate action is with a federal price on carbon.” You can spread Mark’s op-ed around by sharing our posts on Twitter and Facebook.
________________________________________________________________________
Take action this week 
If you have a little time: Watch this video from Mark Reynolds
Check out this video on Twitter from our Executive Director Mark Reynolds, telling volunteers more about what to look forward to at our Grit and Gratitude virtual conference. This free, online event will take place on Nov. 13 and 14, and will include keynote speaker Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. You can register for the conference here.
If you have more time: Write an LTE for climate legislation in America
The president is currently at COP26, working alongside the world’s leaders to find solutions to climate change. This is a great time to write a letter to your local newspaper about why America needs climate legislation. Check out this CCL resource for guidance on writing letters to the editor.
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.
__________________________________________________________________________
Featured Lever This Week 
On Halloween, CCL surprised trick-or-treaters in Utah with carbon cashbacks. These cashbacks were given in the amount of a children’s dividend. As you can see from the video, the kids and parents alike were excited to receive a stack of bills alongside their Halloween candy!
A carbon dividend, or “carbon cashback” payment, helps support low-and-middle-income Americans through the transition to a clean energy economy. As Congress finalizes the budget reconciliation package, which could include a carbon fee and dividend policy, this fun outreach effort helps illustrate the policy's popularity.
__________________________________________________________________________
QCDs: the tax-savvy donor's best-kept secret
It’s hard to believe that 2021 is almost drawing to a close. Before the excitement of the holidays begins, we wanted to make sure you took a moment to consider a unique way to support our momentum toward a more livable world: Qualified Charitable Distributions, or QCDs.
If you’re 70.5 years old (or better!), QCDs are a powerful way to support our climate solutions while also providing you with great tax benefits.
These gifts can be made directly from your traditional IRA without ever facing taxation, meaning they maximize your charitable impact and your possible deduction. Even better, a QCD contribution to Citizens’ Climate Education counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). Your RMD is the amount you must withdraw from your IRA by December 31, or face a 50% tax penalty. So, your QCD contribution to Citizens’ Climate Education can power our movement while protecting your pocketbook. What’s not to love?
We’ve made it easy to navigate the paperwork of making a QCD through a secure online portal. Just click below to get started:
Questions about Citizens’ Climate Education, or Qualified Charitable Distributions? Please reach out to the Development team at development@citizensclimate.org or call the home office at 619-437-7142.
_________________________________________________________________________
Upcoming Trainings 
11/4: Nov. 2021 Lobby Training #2: Supporting Asks & Final Guidance — Join CCL's Vice President of Government Affairs Dr. Danny Richter for a training that will review CCL's newly updated Primary and Supporting Asks as well as guidance for lobby teams as they plan their online meetings. Join us!
11/11: Lobbying 401: Leading Your Lobby Team — This training is designed for those who wish to learn more about leading a lobby meeting with a member of Congress or staff. In this training, we'll review the role of a lobby team leader, how they assign team roles, coordinate practice times and how to handle other special situations. Join us!
Need training on the basics? Catch our next session of Core Volunteer Training, made for newer volunteers:
11/9: Social Media Basics — Join CCL’s Marketing Manager, Ashley Hunt Martorano, for a training geared at enhancing your group’s use of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Social Media Basics will feature time for a Q&A and small group breakout discussions. Join us!
To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.
_________________________________________________________________________
This week on the CCL blog: 
Onboarding Action Team makes it easy to welcome new CCLers: CCL staff members Sandy Simon and Elli Sparks showcase the Onboarding Action Team, designed for easily recruiting and retaining volunteers. Read more.
CCL statement on budget framework: President Biden has pledged to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030. We are concerned that the investments listed in this framework will not reduce emissions enough to keep that promise, so we’re continuing to push for a price on carbon. Read more.
Recent Posts