CCL Newsletter: Price On Carbon Still On Table In Senate Negotiations

December 15, 2021

The Senate Finance Committee, which is responsible for portions of the Build Back Better bill that could contain a price on carbon, released a draft of some legislative text over the weekend. Though a carbon tax was not mentioned in the committee’s text, Chairman Ron Wyden said the draft is not the final version of the bill.

In a message posted on CCL Community, Strategy Director Tony Sirna said, “Our allies in the Senate say that they are still negotiating with Senator Joe Manchin and that a carbon price is still on the table.” Tony also shared information on upcoming phone and text banks volunteers can participate in to continue urging the Senate to move forward. 

On CCL’s national call Saturday, Government Affairs VP Dr. Danny Richter provided a legislative update and noted encouraging statements from several senators, including Sen. Chris Coons, who said, “I’m still optimistic we will add a polluter fee to the Build Back Better legislation here in the Senate.” Danny wrapped up his report saying, “Senators who are connected to the action are saying a carbon price and a methane fee are still part of the mix, and we’re not giving up on this reconciliation opportunity until we hear otherwise.”

It’s difficult, as Tony said, “to ride out these final negotiations, but we can get through this phase and whatever comes out of it the way we always have — together.”

CCL released a new video this week about the current status of carbon pricing in Congress with a call to include this essential tool in reconciliation. You can watch and share on Twitter.

Watch & Share the Video!

• Post backs price on carbon again: For years, the Washington Post has supported a fee on carbon with revenue given to households. This week the Post published a timely editorial about the climate provisions in the Build Back Better bill, and said, “Instead of merely subsidizing clean energy, [Senate Democrats] should put a stiff and rising tax on carbon-intensive fuels, then reinvest the proceeds into energy research, efficiency initiatives and rebates to consumers.” Share CCL’s tweet about the editorial.
• Kentucky CCLers give updates: Our hearts go out to everyone in Kentucky after a round of deadly tornadoes hit the state this weekend. In a forum post, CCL members share some updates from on the ground.

Donate to our year-end fundraiser

What a year! Four pieces of bipartisan climate legislation signed into law, two climate bills passed through one chamber of Congress, and possibly… a price on carbon. This year has flown by, but it’s not over yet. We’re over halfway to our year-end fundraising goal of $1.5 million, with only two weeks left to give. Will you help us get there? 

Thanks to volunteers and donors like you, we’ve been able to grow into one of the most effective climate organizations working with Congress. Your tax-deductible donation to 501(c)(3) Citizens’ Climate Education will help us get off to a strong start in 2022 and keep grassroots voices strong in Washington, D.C. 

Funding will help grow and support the programs that have been essential to our legislative success in Congress, like:

• Climate Education and Advocacy - Train and support everyday citizens to work with Congress, media, the general public, and other stakeholders
• Influencers and Media Persuasion - Build support from businesses, local media, and influencers in key districts and states
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Engage, mobilize, and collaborate with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities for effective climate legislation
• Conservative Leadership - Activate and engage right-of-center support for bipartisan climate legislation

Together, we can make a difference. Consider a tax-deductible gift to Citizens’ Climate Education today.

Note: Citizens’ Climate Education (CCE) is the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt sister organization to Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL). Donations made to CCE are tax deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. 
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Featured Lever This Week 

Grasstops: NY fights for a carbon price in BBB

New York state legislators and members of the New York Climate Action Council wrote a letter calling for a carbon price in the Build Back Better Act. 

The letter, sent to Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand, called for bold, transformative climate actions, such as a “meaningful price on greenhouse gas emissions while also protecting the economically vulnerable from higher energy costs.”

Props to CCL New York volunteers Peter Savio, Phillip Kahn, Randy Gyorgy, Lynn Meyer, and Bryan Swift for generating these grasstops endorsements.

Read the Full Letter!

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Take action this week  

If you have a little time: Check out and share this tweet

CCL researcher Dana Nuccitelli recently published a blog on the impacts that a carbon price will have on the reduction of poverty. The blog is based on a study by Nature Climate Change. “A carbon fee & dividend policy would lift 1.6 million Americans out of poverty by 2030, and have even bigger poverty-alleviating benefits in China & India,” Dana tweets. You can share that tweet here.

If you have more time: Watch our December national call

CCL had our December national call this past weekend, featuring Isatis Cintrón Rodríguez. Isatis is a Latin America Regional Coordinator for CCI and a CCI founding board member. You can watch the recording of that call 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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Upcoming Trainings 

12/16 : Telling Compelling Climate Stories Workshop — Join Peterson Toscano, Citizens' Climate Radio host, for a training that focuses on the value of storytelling and how to tell your own climate story. Join us!

All trainings from 12/21 through 12/30 are canceled in observance of the winter holidays.

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:  

California “Green Republicans” network at conventions: California’s “Green Republicans” in CCL share their hard work connecting with the GOP in California, as well as conservatives in the U.S.. Read more.

Carbon price would reduce poverty and inequality: On November 29, Nature Climate Change published two studies on the impact of climate action on poverty, inequality and well-being. Read more.