Weekly Briefing: We loaf you: Danny Richter’s last legislative update

August 31, 2022

In his last legislative update, CCL VP of Government Affairs Danny Richter recaps the climate wins CCL has helped secure in this Congress. He thanks volunteers for their efforts on the Inflation Reduction Act, saying, "Your respectful, appreciative, optimistic and persistent outreach to Congress, especially at critical times, I believe was key in helping pass this legislation." 

Danny also recognizes how volunteers contributed to bipartisan wins on climate during this Congress, such as the passage of the infrastructure bill and the Senate passage of the Growing Climate Solutions Act, and more. "I'm very proud of the productive ways we have continued to engage Republicans," he reflects.

After a banner session of Congress, and after 14 years with CCL, Danny is now moving on to his next adventure. Near the end of his update video, Danny talks about his next steps with one of his famous bread-baking analogies. We're pretty sure we speak for all of CCL when we say: Danny, we loaf you ❤

Watch Danny's update, and don't forget to leave him a farewell message on his Kudoboard.

WATCH DANNY'S VIDEO

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In other news this week: 

• Conservative IRA op-ed version available: CCL has recently created a conservative version of the Inflation Reduction Act op-ed to be submitted in red states and publications. You can find it here. 
• CCL Inclusion Conference: CCL’s Inclusion Conference is just around the corner! Join us Sept. 16-17 for an array of speakers bringing us together in unity, community, and trust. For the agenda and more details, click here. Register here.
• Social benefits of IRA: The Office of Management and Budget recently released a study estimating the future social benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act to be as much as $1.9 trillion in today’s dollars. Read more about this study on Nerd Corner.
• Yale polling shows climate as a voting issue: As election season heats up, this is a prime time to elevate the issue of climate change in Congress. Read more about climate as a voting issue in a poll conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication in this blog post. 
• Celebrating the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act: Two weeks ago, CCL celebrated the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. You can read the remarks given by CCL Executive Director Madeleine Para here.

If you have a little time: Like and share this tweet
As climate change intensifies natural disasters worldwide, more humanitarian crises are created. With flooding taking the lives of over 1,100 people in Pakistan, it’s important that we continue to do climate advocacy work in hopes of decreasing the frequency and intensity of disasters like these. Like and share CCL’s tweet about flooding in Pakistan here.

If you have more time: Connect with your CCL chapter this Labor Day
Over the upcoming Labor Day weekend, many CCL chapters will be doing outreach in their communities. Connect with your local group here and see what you can do to help.

Find your CCL chapter | Check out our Action Teams | Browse upcoming events
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Featured Lever This Week 

CCLer plays role in political will for IRA passage

To say that Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) “hit a homer in the ninth inning” this past August by agreeing to support the Inflation Reduction Act would be an understatement. Senator Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) patience was pivotal in working with Sen. Manchin. But Sen. Schumer got his determination from his constituents, who urged him to enact climate legislation.

One of those constituents was CCL volunteer Sean Dague, who serves as New York’s state coordinator.

Sean was at a town hall event on May 31 organized by Indivisible New York, where he got the chance to ask the Majority Leader a question. Noting that Biden had campaigned on addressing climate change, which was a key factor in bringing out the youth vote for Democrats in 2020, Sean asked, “What is your plan to get the president’s climate package passed in the Senate to ensure the president and Democrats more broadly deliver on climate action?”

Schumer replied that he was the only one Manchin was negotiating with. He wasn’t sure if they could get a deal done, and if they did, there would be compromises. The next question asked, “What can Democrats do to encourage young voters to come out at the midterms?” Referring back to Sean’s question, Schumer said, “Climate.”

In mid-June, CCL New York organized a calling campaign to Schumer’s office with the simple message: “Get climate done. Get the best deal you can get with Manchin, and get it done.” Other organizations pitched in, and CCL volunteer Sarah Mittiga estimates about 250 messages were delivered to Schumer.
Volunteers like Sean have played a pivotal role throughout the reconciliation progress. Thank you all for your hard work!

CONSIDER BECOMING A CCL LIAISON

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Upcoming Trainings 

9/1: Understanding Environmental Justice Perspectives About the IRA — Join this training to explore important perspectives from environmental justice communities on the policy impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act and its implementation. Join us! 

9/8: Giving Inflation Reduction Act Presentations In Your Community — Join CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli for a training that will feature a customizable presentation about the Inflation Reduction Act to use in your community. Join us!

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

9/6: Building Personal Resilience As A Climate Advocate — Sometimes, climate work can feel heavy. This training is an opportunity to share authentically, listen deeply, and explore opportunities for building personal resilience. Join us!

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