Weekly Briefing: As executive moves affect climate & clean energy, we need Congress to step up

February 5, 2025

Two weeks ago, we updated you about President Trump signing an executive order to pause the disbursement of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, national media outlets are starting to report on how that move is hurting the economy.

A New York Times story, “Trump’s Halt on Climate Spending Freezes Jobs and Stalls Projects,” says the IRA funding pause is “paralyzing federal agencies, causing confusion in states and cities, delaying construction projects and forcing some companies to furlough workers.” A Heatmap article, “Trump’s IRA Pause Is Already Leading to Layoffs,” explores how the pause has affected a specific clean energy company in the northwest.

As a reminder, President Trump should not be able to stop this funding permanently without congressional action. His administration is making moves to extend their authority — in some cases in conflict with Congress's authority — such as attempting to pause federal grants and loans and make significant changes to agencies. But according to the Constitution, the power of the purse rests with Congress.

That means it’s even more vital that we make sure Congress is crystal clear about the economic and climate benefits of the IRA. Lawmakers need to know: We want them to use their power as the legislative branch to defend the IRA and protect that spending they allocated in 2022.

This month, we’re asking you to take the fight to social media. Until Republicans in Congress finalize a budget resolution showing which parts of the Inflation Reduction Act may be up for repeal, broad public messaging is the best next step in our defense.

Check out the February Action Sheet for specific guidance on social media posts you can make to defend the IRA to Republican members of Congress, or join us at our February meeting this Saturday to take action together.

In other news this week:

CCL Conservative Conference on March 4-5: For the fifth year, we’re gathering right-of-center CCLers in Washington, D.C., to lobby Republican congressional offices on climate issues. We will push offices not to repeal key climate measures in the Inflation Reduction Act, and we also plan to build more support for the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act to reduce wildfire risk. Before we head to Capitol Hill, we’ll train all attendees to be as persuasive as possible in their lobby meetings. If you’re on the political right, or know someone who is, check out the event and apply by Feb. 18.

Ben and Jenn making moves: After eight wonderful years on staff, Ben Pendergrass is off to his next opportunity. He was scouted for an exciting role with an organization called the Intrinsic Exchange Group, which works to advance sustainable, market-based solutions. We wish Ben the absolute best, and we're thrilled that Jenn Tyler will step into the role of CCL's Vice President of Government Affairs. In the coming months, we will hire to fill the open seat on the Government Affairs team and ensure that we have all the Capitol Hill support and insights necessary to be successful in our advocacy.

Take action this week

If you have a little time: Attend CCL’s February monthly meeting. This Saturday at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT, tune in to CCL’s February meeting on Zoom. We are excited to welcome Danielle Watson, the Senior Director of Policy at American Forests, as our guest speaker this month. She will discuss American Forests' work and their support of the new bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act. Plus, we’ll hear an update from CCL Executive Director Rachel Kerestes about our work in light of the first few weeks of the Trump administration, and we’ll get into our February actions together. See you on Saturday!

If you have more time: Watch Dana and Jenn’s Fix Our Forests Act training. The bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act has passed the House and needs CCL’s support to move through the Senate. CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli and Vice President of Government Affairs Jenn Tyler held a training to educate CCLers on the bill. Read a recap of the training on CCL’s blog, or watch the recording.

Featured chapter: CCL Milwaukee West - Read their feature here!

Upcoming trainings

2/11: Lobbying Basics: Planning and Practicing Your Meeting - Join CCL staff for an online training about preparing to meet with your member of Congress and what an actual meeting looks like. Join us!

2/12: Informational Session - CCL holds a weekly info session for people who are new to CCL or looking to get more active. Attendees learn about CCL’s mission, how we work effectively with Congress to pass big climate legislation, and how our volunteers make that happen. Sign up here for next week’s session or a future date.

2/18: Economics of Carbon Fee & Dividend Policies - Join CCL leader and economist Paul Bernstein for a webinar on the key components of carbon pricing policy design, including the carbon fee, the dividend, and the border adjustment. Join us!

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