Weekly Briefing: Congress Is Back, And Climate Bills Are On The Way

January 11, 2023

Ben & Jenn: Congress is back, and climate bills are on the way

Last year, we saw tremendous progress on national policies to address climate change — the Inflation Reduction Act with nearly $400 billion in incentives for clean energy, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to fund public transit and an electric vehicle charging network, and the inclusion of the Growing Climate Solutions Act in the omnibus spending bill.

As we start a new year with a new Congress, what's next?

To give us a glimpse of what lies ahead, we turn to Ben Pendergrass and Jennifer Tyler, CCL's VP of Government Affairs and CCL's Senior Director of Government Affairs. In their legislative update, Ben said, "We expect a lot of bills on climate to get introduced in this Congress, including things around carbon pricing like the Energy Innovation Act."

Ben also noted that House and Senate offices are open again, which means we'll likely have in-person lobbying on the Hill this June. 

You can watch the full update from Ben and Jenn on CCL's YouTube channel.

WATCH THE UPDATE

In other news this week: 

• CCL’s Ben Pendergrass featured in Grid: CCL’s Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Pendergrass was recently featured in an article by Grid on climate policy to watch in 2023 and opportunities for bipartisanship. 
• Want to spotlight your CCL chapter in the Weekly Briefing? Has your chapter done something cool or impressive? Want to show off your chapter’s efforts? Then fill out this form about CCL chapter accomplishments for a chance at having your chapter highlighted in the Weekly Briefing!
• Want to spotlight a CCL volunteer? Do you know a hardworking CCLer who has achieved something incredible for our planet? Nominate them here for a chance at being featured in our Volunteer Spotlight on CCL’s blog. 
• How the Inflation Reduction Act can bridge the partisan divide: Despite its partisan origins, the IRA may have a bipartisan legacy, drawing more Republicans into the clean energy discussion. CCL Research Coordinator Jonathan Marshall dives deeper in this blog. 
• COP27 Report: COP27 had a long list of challenges to work out. CCI Executive Director Joe Robertson talks about some of the summit’s achievements in this blog.

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THANK YOU!

We saw an incredible outpouring of support during our year-end fundraiser. Thousands of people rose to the occasion to give, going above and beyond in the fight for a livable world. Our volunteers and supporters collectively brought in $1,375,226! The dedication of this community brought us so incredibly close to meeting our ambitious $1.5 million goal, even if we fell short by just a small margin. And we’re so grateful! If you didn’t have the opportunity during the campaign, you can still make a tax-deductible donation to Citizens’ Climate Education today.

At Citizens’ Climate, we envision a world where citizens are so actively engaged in the legislative process that impactful climate policies have the momentum they need to be enacted, regardless of the political party in power. A place where no matter what your politics are, we can work together to save what we love most. Thanks to your tremendous support, we’re one step closer to achieving this future. 

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Take action this week  

If you have a little time: Help build support for a carbon price
As the 118th Congress kicks into high gear, this is the perfect time to start building a foundation for the importance of a carbon price. Contact Congress in support of a carbon price here. 

If you have a little more time: Join our January national call
Every CCL volunteer can use the powerful En-ROADS climate simulator to demonstrate major challenges and possible solutions to mitigate global warming, and to show that CCL’s agenda priorities are vitally important. Join us this Saturday, Jan. 14, from 10 am PT/ 1 pm ET to hear from Andrew Jones, who helped develop the En-ROADS simulator. You can find more information on Jones and the monthly call here. 
 
This talk is sponsored by the new CCL En-ROADS Engagement Action Team (EEAT). This action team will teach members about the many possible uses of En-ROADS insights for CCL audiences, how to arrange a workshop, and even how to become a trained CCL En-ROADS Workshop facilitator through Climate Interactive’s training. You can attend the launch of this new action team on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 4 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. ET here.

Find your CCL chapter  |  Check out our Action Teams |  Browse upcoming events

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Featured Lever This Week 

CCL Louisiana sees success, bipartisanship, in 2022 lobby season

Dozens of volunteers from every corner of the Bayou State held meetings with their members of Congress during the latter months of 2022 and found encouraging signs of growing bipartisanship, paving the way for 2023.

Susan Adams, CCL’s Regional Coordinator for the Third Coast (which includes Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi), shared the significance of a diverse group of volunteers finding hope for growing future bipartisanship in the predominantly red state. 

“Louisiana volunteers pulled together to hold a marathon five meetings in December. We found that presenting CCL’s expanded policy agenda really generated excitement with offices, particularly the addition of permitting reform. The fact that we as a national organization were lobbying for the RISEE act, introduced by Louisiana Senator Cassidy, also helped promote our clout as legislative advocates with Louisiana's best interests in mind,” Susan explains. “Our core group of volunteers participated in all five meetings, taking time out of their busy workdays to help make them a success! I'm so grateful!”

You can see CCL Louisiana’s successful lobby season on their Facebook page below.  

CHECK OUT CCL LOUISIANA’S FACEBOOK PAGE

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Upcoming Trainings 

• 1/12: Recap of COP27 — Join CCI Executive Director Joe Robertson and fellow staff for an update on what took place in Egypt and Citizens' Climate International's role in the ongoing negotiations. Join us!
• 1/19: Advanced Training on Building Electrification & Efficiency — Join CCL Research Coordinator Jonathan Marshall for an advanced training about Building Electrification & Efficiency. Jonathan will review the need to electrify and weatherize American buildings and why it’s important, as well as answer frequently asked questions on the topic. Join us!

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

• 1/17: Telling Compelling Stories — Join Citizens' Climate Radio host Peterson Toscano for a training on storytelling and the special opportunity to share your own success stories from the field. The call will close with a final reflection on what it means to be a CCL volunteer and how we can best support each other in our climate advocacy. Join us!

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