Weekly Briefing: Appropriations bills reject most White House cuts to climate and clean energy programs

Jan. 14, 2026

CCL’s first Monthly Meeting of the year, which took place this past Saturday, set the tone for our 2026 advocacy. Executive Director Ricky Bradley said, “Steady, values-driven work still matters — even when the political winds are rough and the outcomes are far from guaranteed.” The call featured updates on fundraising, leadership, our new BRIDGE program, and a new appropriations action — and those are just January’s major updates! 

We encourage you to watch the call recording if you weren’t able to attend. But if you’re short on time, we’ll share one of our favorite segments from the call: an update on our appropriations asks.

When we first asked Congress to fully fund climate and clean energy programs last year, it was a new kind of ask for CCLers. While we usually channel our grassroots advocacy into specific policies and bills, this was the first time we asked Congress to channel funding to existing climate programs — and it’s paying off. 

Congress is now using its “power of the purse” to push back against major cuts proposed by the executive branch. After we reached out to Congress asking them to fund NOAA, NASA and Department of Energy programs, we’re now seeing the following results:

• Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E): Senate funded $350M, limiting cuts to $110M—far less than the $200M cut proposed by the Trump Administration, preserving a core engine of breakthrough clean-energy innovation.
• Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE): Senate funded $3.1B, rejecting the Trump Administration’s proposal to slash funding to $888M and the Administration's suggestion that the office could be eliminated entirely—protecting efficiency and renewable deployment nationwide.
• NASA Science: Senate funded science missions at $7.25B, a modest 1.1% reduction, compared to the 47% cut proposed by the Trump Administration, safeguarding critical Earth and climate science.
• NOAA: Senate maintained overall funding at $6.2B, rejecting the Administration’s proposed $2.2B cut to research and grants, and preserving the Office of Atmospheric Research at near-level funding despite proposals to eliminate it entirely.

Congress has yet to pass the final appropriations bills, but both the House and Senate have proposed bills rejecting these cuts. We can confidently say the final bills will look similar to these funding levels. Though this is a new avenue of advocacy for us, it is definitely proving to be successful. Great work, CCLers!

Get the full appropriations update and learn more about CCL’s efforts by watching the Monthly Meeting recording.

Watch Now

Take action this week

If you have a little time: Spread the word about the EU CBAM. In major carbon pricing news, the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) went into effect January 1. In order to trade certain goods with Europe, importers must now pay for the greenhouse gas emissions of their products. CCLers are hard at work encouraging the U.S. to follow the EU’s example! Spread the word by sharing CCL’s social media posts about the CBAM on X and Bluesky.

If you have more time: Kick off the year with a Letter to the Editor. This month is full of timely messages for LTEs. Consider writing about NCAR funding, the Fix Our Forests Act or the importance of addressing climate change in 2026. If you need a little support, join our monthly LTE party tonight! CCL Communications & Media Manager Charlotte Ward hosts a 5-minute training to get you started, followed by a 20-minute period of focused time off-camera to start writing your letter, and then a chance to discuss your draft or ask questions. Register here for tonight’s workshop, which starts at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET, or an LTE party in an upcoming month.

Upcoming trainings

1/15: Understanding the Permitting Reform Landscape - Permitting reform is a complex topic that touches on many politically sensitive topics including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), judicial reforms, and federal involvement in interstate project permitting processes. Join Jenn Tyler and Dana Nuccitelli to learn about the permitting players, politics, problems, and how and why CCL is engaging in this challenging landscape. Join us!

1/22: From Intuition to Insight: Understanding How We All Make Meaning - This training will begin to explore the first lesson in CCL's BRIDGE Advocacy Program. We’ll take a deeper look at how all of us form beliefs, using Moral Foundations Theory and insights from behavioral science. We’ll explore why intuition and emotion usually come first, and how reasoning often follows to justify those initial reactions. The focus is on self-awareness as a foundation for stronger, more respectful advocacy across differences.  Join us!

1/26: CCL Health January: Framing the Conversation Around Health - Climate impacts often feel as if theyʼre a long way in the future. But the health impacts of climate change can get peopleʼs attention. This joint session from CCL’s Health and Electrification Action Teams will summarize the many impacts of indoor air quality and energy burden and will share insights into the state of the clean energy transition. Join us!

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