Weekly Briefing: CCL joins Dream.org for Capitol Hill meetings

July 15, 2026

CCL is well-known for our big annual Lobby Day on Capitol Hill — but did you know we're on Capitol Hill at other times, too? Just this week, 10 CCLers attended a targeted day of advocacy in D.C. in partnership with our friends at Dream.org.

These volunteers came to D.C. from elsewhere on the East Coast, like New Jersey, New York, Florida, and from as far away as California and New Mexico. Guided by CCL's VP of Government Affairs, Jennifer Tyler, they visited 15 congressional offices to build more support for bipartisan clean energy permitting reform. One of the offices they met with was Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), pictured above.

"The focus of this fly-in was to meet with progressive Democrats, who are an important constituency in the permitting discussions in D.C.," Jenn explained. "Our meetings emphasized to these Members that permitting reform is necessary to build and connect lots more clean energy across America, and it can be done in a way that protects people and ensures community input."

We're grateful to everyone who represented CCL and to our partners at Dream.org for joining forces on this important effort. We’re also looking forward to a much larger, CCL-specific push for permitting reform as part of our Summer Conference and Lobby Day at the end of this month.

Follow CCL on Instagram to keep up with all the Capitol Hill updates and photos that will be coming your way soon!

In other news this week:

• Summer Conference livestream: Registration is now open for livestream access to CCL's Summer Conference! Livestream ticket holders receive virtual access to all main stage sessions Monday, July 27, including the opening keynote session from Jigar Shah and Carbon Pricing Plenary featuring Marc Hafstead of Resources for the Future. Livestream access is $20 and will take place on Zoom, hosted by Elli Sparks, CCL Sr. Director of Field Operations.

Take action this week:

If you have a little time: Save the date to call Congress July 27. We’re headed to Capitol Hill to meet in person with lawmakers and their staff on Tuesday, July 28. The day before, you can help strengthen those conversations from wherever you are. On Monday, July 27, we want to generate thousands of phone calls sending one clear message: People nationwide support the policies that CCL is lobbying for. A swell of calls just before lobby day will help emphasize that it’s not just people in our lobby meetings who support climate action. Set a reminder in your calendar, then invite three people in your life you can invite to call Congress, too. 

If you have more time: Watch the July Monthly Meeting. If you weren’t able to make it live, the recording for July’s Monthly Meeting is available now. This month, we heard from CCL Executive Director, Ricky Bradley, who delivered updates about some of our key actions and asks to Congress so far this year, including Forest Service and NCAR funding. We also heard from an excellent panel of featured CCLers about their motivations, their mindset, and more as they head to Capitol Hill this year. Tune in and get excited for the Summer Conference at the end of the month by checking out the recording.

Upcoming trainings & events:

7/16: Summer 2026 Lobby Training #1: Primary & Secondary Asks - Join CCL's Vice President for Government Affairs Jennifer Tyler, Congressional Liaison Program Director Mindy Ahler, and Research Manager Dana Nuccitelli for a training that will review the updates and context for CCL's Summer 2026 Primary and Secondary Asks as well as guidance for lobby teams as they plan their in-person meetings. This is a recommended training for any CCL volunteer planning on being a part of CCL’s 2026 Lobby Day. Join us!

7/21: Summer 2026 Lobby Training #2: Lobby Plans and Q&A - This Lobby Day training will review more details and the context for CCL's Summer Primary Asks as well as guidance for lobby teams as they plan their D.C. meetings. We'll also have time to get your questions answered by CCL's Government Affairs team. This is the second of two recommended trainings for any CCL volunteer planning on being a part of CCL’s 2026 Lobby Day. Join us!

7/23: Motivational Interviewing: Listening and Motivating for Change (BRIDGE Training #7) - We’ve moved onto Unit 3 of BRIDGE! In this deep-dive training, you’ll learn the core mindset and tools of Motivational Interviewing. We’ll cover how to use OARS and listen for change talk so others discover their own reasons to support climate solutions. Join us!

To see other events and CCL trainings, visit the Live Events Calendar on CCL Community.