Weekly Briefing: U.S. Senate Passes Historic Climate Legislation
August 10, 2022
On Sun., Aug. 7, the U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act by one vote. The bill, which is scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives within days, includes by far the largest and most consequential measures to reduce domestic climate pollution in the nation’s history, with a $386 billion clean energy investment, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
CCL's grassroots energy helped keep climate change on the agenda for congressional action throughout months of an uncertain reconciliation process.
“We've generated tens of thousands of calls and messages to Congress since the process last year, including more than 7,000 calls and emails to Democratic Senators in the week leading up to this vote,” said CCL Executive Director, Madeleine Para in a statement. “This climate victory belongs to all the grassroots advocates across the country who have worked for decades to advance solutions to climate change.”
Based on analyses by several energy modeling groups, the Inflation Reduction Act will reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% in the year 2030, significantly narrowing the gap between the U.S.’s current path and its Paris Climate Agreement commitment. CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli writes about the pivotal legislation for Yale Climate Connections, which can be read below.
The work of CCL volunteers has been crucial in bringing us to this historic moment.
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In other news this week: 
- Thank your Democratic Senator: If you have a Democratic Senator, be sure to thank them for voting “yes” on this historic climate policy. Thank them here.
- Register for CCL’s Inclusion Conference: Join us virtually for CCL’s very first Inclusion Conference! The conference, taking place Sept. 17, will be a safe space to be yourself and share your stories, experiences, successes, and struggles with the goal of moving forward in climate action and solidarity. Register here.
- Colorado CCL chapter honors climate hero: Ed Perlmutter has been a U.S. Representative for 16 years and has had a warm, productive relationship with CCLers in his district. As he retires from Congress, his CCL constituents honor his legacy of public service. Read more here.
- Preventing burnout as a climate advocate: Learn how to practice resilience while engaging in climate advocacy. Read more here.
If you have a little time: Contact your Democratic Representative
With the House of Representatives scheduled to vote on the Inflation Reduction Act this Friday, it’s important that we urge our Democratic members of Congress to support these climate policies. Contact your Democratic Representative, and if you don’t have one, encourage your friends who have Democratic Representatives to reach out.
If you have more time: Attend the August national call
Join the August national call this Saturday, Aug. 13, at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. This month, we talk with Bob Inglis and Princella Talley about how they communicate with diverse audiences about climate change. You can find more information about that call here.
Find your CCL chapter | Check out our Action Teams | Browse upcoming events
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Featured Lever This Week
Grasstops: Business signal support for Inflation Reduction Act
Since the Senate’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, dozens of businesses have come out in support of the climate provisions included in the bill.
CEO Climate Dialogue, a coalition of four leading environmental organizations and 22 businesses representing multiple sectors across the United States, was one of the first coalitions of its kind to publicly support the bill. The Zero Emission Transportation Association also supported the Inflation Reduction Act, stating that it would “make an unprecedented investment in our clean energy infrastructure and zero-emission transportation system.”
Over a dozen corporations even wrote and signed a letter calling on Congress to “quickly pass the Inflation Reduction Act.” Some of the countries that signed the letter include bp American, Ford Motor Company, IKEA Retail US, Levi Strauss & Co., and Shell USA.
These corporations are joined by several others, whose executives have released individual statements or spoken in support of the Inflation Reduction Act.
As the bill makes its way to the House for a vote on Friday, more companies will likely voice their support for the legislation.
LIKE AND TWEET THE BUSINESS ENDORSEMENTS
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Upcoming Trainings 
- 8/11: A Fresh Take To Giving An Introductory Presentation To CCL — Join this training to see the new presentation slide deck that the Presenters Action team has been prototyping to provide a fresh take on giving an introductory presentation to CCL. Join us!
- 8/18: Help Us Recruit Major Donors — Join members from our Development Team for a free, virtual conversation about how to find the fun in fundraising and how to recruit new major donors for our national work. You can find more information here.
Need training on the basics? Catch our next session of Core Volunteer Training, made for newer volunteers:
- 8/16: Chapter Development Basics — CCL chapters form the backbone of the CCL organization. This training will highlight recommendations and resources to help get a new CCL chapter up and running as well as the chance to hear from CCL group leaders about their experiences organizing their groups. Join us!
To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.
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