Reviewing Primary and Supporting Asks
This training reviews the updated context for CCL's June 2023 Primary and Supporting Asks as well as guidance for lobby teams as they plan their June meetings. This is a recommended training for any CCL volunteer planning on being a part of their group's June 2023 Lobby Meeting (as well as Lobby Training #2: Open Q&A (Monday May 22nd, 8 pm ET)).
June 2023 Primary Asks
For our June 2023 Lobby Meetings, all of CCL's Primary Asks are located here and are as follows.
For all members of Congress:
Clean Energy Permitting Reform: Advocating for permitting reform that does two things:
- Drives down carbon pollution by speeding up the approval of clean energy projects
- Protects the health and safety of American people and communities
We have an additional carbon primary ask for June 2023, depending on whether your member of Congress is in the House or Senate:
- For all House members, co-sponsor the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act when it’s reintroduced. (See this training about the Energy Innovation Act in the last Congress)
- For all Senators, co-sponsor the recently introduce PROVE IT Act (see this forum discussion with Dana for more information as this was just introduced)
Some suggestions for different types of MOCs:
All Republican House members
Unless you feel like you’ve been gaining traction around carbon pricing, we suggest you spend most of your time on permitting reform. Here’s an example of what you might say about the Energy Innovation Act:
“We’ve talked with you before about the Energy Innovation Act and we’re pleased that it is being reintroduced soon. We’ll continue to work on building bipartisan support for this bill. Today, we’d like to focus on permitting reform. We know both parties are interested in this and we would like to learn about your priorities for permitting reform.”
If you think it would be useful to mention CBAMs in relation to the Energy Innovation Act before pivoting to permitting reform, you might add that the carbon border adjustment element of the Energy Innovation Act is becoming particularly relevant given that the EU signed the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism Regulation in May. This means that beginning in October, importers to the EU of certain carbon intensive goods such as cement, iron, steel, and aluminum, will have to report greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) embedded in their imports (direct and indirect emissions). Financial payments or adjustments will begin in January 2026. We are expecting carbon border adjustment bills to be introduced by both Republicans and Democrats in the coming months which we’ll be watching closely. This may open some discussion, or just move on to permitting reform discussion. (Training on carbon border adjustments.)
In discussing permitting reform with Republicans, start with common ground on permitting including the need for quicker approvals, incentivizing innovation, lowering energy costs. Republicans most need to hear about the importance of transmission and community engagement. Emphasize the need for bipartisanship.
Democratic House members regarding permitting reform
Start with common ground on permitting including the need for more clean energy, increasing early community engagement, achieving the IRA emissions reductions. Democrats most need to hear about the importance of speed and efficiency overall in our permitting process. Emphasize the need for bipartisanship.
General priorities for permitting reform include:
- Allowing transmission to be permitted and built much faster;
- reducing the amount of time it takes to complete environmental reviews for major energy projects;
- avoiding duplicative processes;
- ensuring robust and early community engagement.
Other House member recommendations
- For all new House members: Review the basics of the Energy Innovation Act and explore their initial response, then move to permitting reform.
- Democratic House members who have previously co-sponsored the Energy Innovation Act:
- Let them know it’s expected to be reintroduced soon. They’ll be contacted by the sponsor when that happens. Then move on to permitting reform.
- Democratic House members who have not previously co-sponsored the Energy Innovation Act:
- Mention the Energy Innovation Act is being reintroduced, and then pivot to permitting reform.
- Democrats who haven’t committed but are likely to be supportive, things to consider:
- Are there outstanding concerns they’ve raised that you might address?
- Mention how close we came to having a carbon price included in the Inflation Reduction Act (it’s popular).
- The EU CBAM regulation (see more detail above in the House Republicans section)
- The U.S. is about to become the only developed country without a carbon pricing mechanism of some type (Australia has an industry mechanism coming online this year).
For all Senators
Our primary ask is permitting reform that drives down carbon pollution by speeding up the approval of clean energy projects, and which protects the health and safety of American people and communities. General priorities for permitting reform include:
- allowing transmission to be permitted and built much faster
- reducing the amount of time it takes to complete environmental reviews for major energy projects
- avoiding duplicative processes
- ensuring robust and early community engagement
For Democratic Senators
Start with common ground on permitting including the need for more clean energy, increasing early community engagement, achieving the IRA emissions reductions. Democrats most need to hear about the importance of speed and efficiency overall in our permitting process. Emphasize the need for bipartisanship.
For Republican Senators
Start with common ground on permitting including the need for quicker approvals, incentivizing innovation, lowering energy costs. Republicans most need to hear about the importance of transmission and community engagement. Emphasize the need for bipartisanship.
June 2023 Supporting Asks
For June 2023, the five supporting asks (choose one or two) for your lobby meetings are:
- Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems (RISEE) Act (S.373/ H.R.913)
- Increased Technical Service Provider Access Act of 2023 (S.1400/ H.R.3036)
- Save Our Sequoias Act (H.R.2989)
- Seedlings for Sustainable Habitat Restoration Act of 2023 (S.1164)
- REAADI for Disasters Act(S.1049/H.R.2371)
Note: one-page descriptions of each bill are available on the Supporting Asks Resources page. CCL will provide some copies in DC for meetings, but you also may want to print a handout of your selected supporting ask to give to a staffer or MOC.
Bills supporting bipartisan climate action
CCL often identifies bipartisan bills that have been introduced that could be useful supporting asks. Our primary objective in promoting these bills is to encourage bipartisanship on climate in Congress. The bills all have cosponsors of both parties, all are complementary to a strong carbon price, and all address policy issues that a carbon price does not. Descriptions of each bill are on the supporting asks page where you can click on the .pdf file or blue hyperlinks for more information.
As we build momentum for bipartisan action on climate and develop relationships of trust with our members of Congress, we suggest keeping to topics of common ground. Rather than bring up the vinegar, talk about the honey. We have learned through motivational interviewing techniques that preparing others for change involves helping them see change as something they create and meets their needs.
Also, know the supporting asks list is not exhaustive; if there is a bill your group would like to use as a supporting ask that is not on this list, please contact CCL’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Ben Pendergrass, at ben@citizensclimate.org. Use your best judgment when deciding whether you want to make one or more of these bills a supporting ask. If any of them are a source of conflict within your group, please pick a different supporting ask.
The value of supporting asks
After making the primary ask and subsequent discussion, it may make sense to make a supporting ask. Getting legislation passed is a complicated, coalition-building process in which lots of smaller steps must happen before we get a law. Many members of Congress may be willing to support other bills that fit into the broader picture of addressing the climate crisis and are complementary to a carbon price, and these could be stepping stones toward support for bringing the U.S. in line with the rest of the developed world.
You should always be clear that what you want is our primary ask. After making the primary ask and subsequent discussion, it may make sense to make a supporting ask. Getting legislation passed is a complicated, coalition-building process in which lots of smaller steps must happen before we get a law.
A record of success
In December 2020, the U.S. House and Senate passed a massive omnibus package. The package includes the major provisions from three of CCL’s “supporting ask” bills from December Lobby Day: the BEST Act, the USE IT Act, and the Climate-Ready Fisheries Act. In July of 2021, the Senate passed the Growing Climate Solutions Act by a vote of 92-8 in a remarkable display of bipartisan support for climate action and was included in the Omnibus Package that passed in December 2022. In September 2021, Congress agreed upon a bipartisan infrastructure package that includes provisions from CCL’s “supporting ask” bills used in June 2021, the Storing CO2 And Lowering Emissions (SCALE) Act and the Hope for Homes Act supporting ask was wrapped into Inflation Reduction Act that was enacted in August 2022. The inclusion of these measures in both the larger omnibus packages shows that CCL’s volunteer lobbying has an impact. This is a powerful reminder of why CCL supports other bipartisan climate bills - because we can make a difference.
- (0:00) Intro & Agenda
- (3:12) What's Happening in Congress?
- (9:14) Primary Asks
- (25:01) Supporting Asks
- (37:18) Conclusion
- For Q&A Discussion: https://vimeo.com/828347052/3cc5b1c711
- Ben Pendergrass
- Jenn Tyler
Skip ahead to the following section(s):
- (0:00) Intro & Agenda
- (3:12) What's Happening in Congress?
- (9:14) Primary Asks
- (25:01) Supporting Asks
- (37:18) Conclusion
- For Q&A Discussion: https://vimeo.com/828347052/3cc5b1c711
- Ben Pendergrass
- Jenn Tyler
To prepare yourself, research the full suite of resources for planning a meeting with a member of Congress.