Weekly Briefing: Here’s How Our Lobby Day Made A Difference
July 17, 2024
It’s been one month since CCL volunteers held 442 citizen lobby meetings on Capitol Hill. Since then, we’ve seen an exciting amount of legislative movement on climate bills that we’re supporting!
CCL’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Ben Pendergrass, joined CCL’s July meeting last weekend to help us understand the impact our Lobby Day made.
Here are a few highlights Ben shared:
- The House version of the PROVE IT Act was introduced with robust bipartisan support. This bill was one of our primary asks on Lobby Day. “There has been organized, well-funded opposition to the PROVE IT Act,” Ben said on Saturday. He said that our meetings, along with the efforts of our allies, “acted as a strong counterweight to some of that opposition.”
- The ADVANCE Act, which CCL has lobbied on as part of our push for clean energy permitting reform, passed Congress and is now law. “That was a huge bipartisan win,” Ben pointed out — it passed the Senate with a vote of 88-2 and was signed by President Biden just last week.
- The Increased TSP Access Act, one of our secondary asks, has gained six new cosponsors since our Lobby Day. “That brings us to exactly 30 Republicans and 30 Democrats” on the bill, Ben said. Early drafts of the Farm Bill text include the text of this bill, too, so our advocacy is helping it move forward.
- The Seedlings for a Sustainable Habitat Act, another secondary ask, has gained four cosponsors since our Lobby Day. “We got an email from the lead sponsor of the bill within 30 minutes of a volunteer group meeting with an office that became a cosponsor,” Ben shared. That peek behind the scenes shows just how quickly our lobbying can make an impact!
Ben also shared his insights into the rest of the year, including policy movement that could happen after the election in November.
If you weren’t able to join us on Saturday for CCL’s July meeting, catch the recording on CCL’s YouTube channel.
In other news this week:
• CCL statement on political violence: CCL issued a statement from Executive Director Rachel Kerestes after the shooting that took place at former President Trump's rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend. She said, in part, "Violence is never the answer. In politics we can disagree and even argue, but we must do so in good faith, with peace and respect for others."
Take action this week
If you have a little time: Tell Congress to finish the job on permitting reform. Let’s keep pushing one of the primary messages from our Lobby Day: Congress needs to keep going on clean energy permitting reform. Our goal is 10,000 messages this month, and we’re nearly halfway there with 4,998 messages sent to Congress so far. Send your messages today.
If you have more time: Join our new 'From Comfort Zones to Connections' series. Diverse social interactions enrich our lives, strengthen our democracy, and make us more effective climate advocates. That’s why Karina Ramirez, CCL’s Diversity and Inclusion Director, and Drew Eyerly, CCL’s Conservative Outreach Director, are offering a four-week “From Comfort Zones to Connections” workshop. The series begins on July 24 and runs each Wednesday through Aug. 14. The workshops expand on Drew and Karina’s wonderful conference session from last month (pictured above), where they shared their experiences cultivating meaningful dialogue. Register for the series here.
Featured chapter: CCL New Albany
CCL’s Greater Detroit chapter, co-led by Julie Budde and Karen Stankye, covers five congressional districts in the southeast of Michigan. They’re still riding high from last month’s Summer Conference and Lobby Day.
The chapter collectively gathered more than 200 constituent letters and brought them to their lobby meetings on Capitol Hill. In the letters, people shared their concerns about climate change and what actions they want Congress to take. “These were very well received in the lobby meetings, and we even read a few particularly impactful ones aloud,” Julie says.
After Lobby Day, Julie shares, “Three of us took the Amtrak back home to Detroit. In the dining car, we ran into two other CCLers from the Chicago chapter and one from the Anchorage chapter [pictured above]. We spent hours sitting and talking with each other. It was a wonderful time for connection and another perk to climate-friendly means of travel!”
What’s next for this chapter? They will table at a “Clean Cruise” electric vehicle event in just a few weeks, continuing their community outreach and connection. Throughout the fall, they will also work hard on voter outreach. “Our chapter has committed to writing and sending out 1000 postcards to encourage people to vote,” Julie says.
Keep up the great work, CCL Greater Detroit!
Want to chat with the Greater Detroit volunteers about their efforts? Join the conversation on CCL Community.
Upcoming trainings
7/18: CCL's Transformational Organizing Guide - In CCL, we transform what people think possible for Congress to do on climate. In the process, we transform what people think possible for themselves to accomplish. Learn how in this training with CCL's VP of Programs Brett Cease and CCL Group Leader Debbie Chang. Join us!
7/23: Communicating with Conservatives - Join CCL's Conservative Outreach team to learn about conservative messaging on climate change and how CCL’s policies can align with conservative values. Join us!
7/25: CCL's Electrification Campaign Overview - Throughout August, CCL will be talking to people in communities across the country about electrifying their homes. Join CCL's VP of Programs Brett Cease for an overview of the campaign goals, support resources, and materials CCL has created to help facilitate thousands of conversations. Join us!
To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.
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