Reviewing Primary and Secondary Asks
This training reviews the updated context for CCL's Fall 2024 Primary and Secondary Asks as well as guidance for lobby teams as they plan their meetings. This is a recommended training for any CCL volunteer planning on being a part of their group's lobby meeting.
Background
This year’s fall lobbying comes at a critical time. The results of the 2024 election and the impending power shifts in Washington have changed calculations on Capitol Hill around several policies we support. But there are still several weeks left of the 118th Congress before those power shifts actually take place. It’s known as the lame duck period.
“The lame duck is always a unique opportunity at the end of a Congress,” explains Ben Pendergrass, CCL’s VP of Government Affairs, because there are some lame duck members of Congress that are on their way out of office, and sometimes there’s also a lame duck president, as we have now. “But Congress usually still has stuff they need to do — and the election has an impact on what’s doable.”
Luckily, Ben says, “We have an opportunity in the lame duck to still get some climate wins.”
Our virtual lobby week, taking place after our Fall Virtual Conference this past weekend, will give CCL volunteers hundreds of chances to influence climate policy progress in the final weeks of this Congress.
Here’s a closer look at what we’re lobbying Congress for this time. Watch the rundown from our Government Affairs team via the "Watch" tab, or read on for a recap.
Fall 2024 Primary Asks
As this training page is updated, you can follow along with this training's slides at https://cclusa.org/lobby-slides
Our Primary Asks (Leave Behind) sheets are available here.
- For All Members of Congress: Energy Permitting Reform Act 2024 (S.4753) Top line message: Support and pass the bill this Congress, ask your leadership to act on the bill.
- For Republican Members: The Inflation Reduction Act is Good For Business. Keep it.
A primary focus on permitting reform
Our primary ask is for Congress to pass the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024. Our volunteers will bring this ask to all offices they meet with: both Democrats and Republicans, and in the House and Senate. “We want every single member to hear why this is an important bill and why this is an important opportunity,” Ben says.
Ben reviewed the modeling for the Energy Permitting Reform Act, done by experts at Princeton Zero Lab, Resources for the Future (RFF), Third Way, and Rocky Mountain Institute, which shows that the bill will significantly reduce climate pollution. How? “One of the best ways to reduce emissions is to build clean energy faster,” Ben explains, “and we all know we’re not going to be able to hit our climate goals without transmission expansion. This bill does that.”
It could cut American climate pollution between 2030 and 2050 by up to 25%, but conservatively by around 10% — huge progress, if Congress can lock it in.
“There’s definitely a bipartisan path” for this bill, Ben adds, and our lobbying could help push this bipartisan agreement across the finish line.
Defending climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act
Our co-primary ask is for Congress to defend the clean energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act. CCL Policy Fellow Danny Richter explained the context around this ask.
“The Inflation Reduction Act was passed only with Democratic votes. It’s Biden’s signature achievement, and Trump has railed against it in the campaign,” Danny explains.
Plus, he reminds us, “The IRA represents a lot of spending, and there will be a need for money next Congress to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is also known as the ‘Trump tax cuts.’” Cutting back that IRA spending could fund some of those tax cuts — though the amount of spending in the IRA doesn’t even come close to the projected cost of the tax cuts. Still, Danny says, “This is why we think the Republicans are going to go after the IRA.”
It could happen through the mechanism of budget reconciliation, which could take some time, so it’s important to lay the groundwork for a strong defense now. Our meetings will remind Republican offices that the IRA funding is good for business, creates jobs and investment in rural communities, drives health benefits by reducing pollution, and more.
“You’re going to plant that flag in the ground and say, ‘We, your constituents, want you to keep this because we like it for all these reasons. We like these benefits, and we don’t want them to go away,” Danny says.
And remember, 18 congressional Republicans are already making this argument, too. Let’s add to the chorus of voices speaking up for this important legislation.
Fall 2024 Secondary Asks
For Fall 2024, this one Secondary Ask for your lobby meetings:
- Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems (RISEE) Act (S. 373 / H.R. 913)
Support offshore wind energy and coastal resilience
Last but not least, Ben says, “If you’ve been around for a couple years, you probably remember the RISEE Act.” This bill is our secondary ask, and we hope to see Congress include it in any year-end legislative package that emerges.
The RISEE Act would create a revenue-sharing model for offshore wind energy, directing money to coastal infrastructure and resiliency efforts, making this clean energy source even more economically attractive to coastal states.
How We Choose Secondary Asks
We look for bills that are:
- Bipartisan, achievable in the near term, complementary to/or related to policy priorities
- Other considerations this time, greater focus - we learn & adapt; when we had many secondary asks, our impact was diluted; this is why we’ve narrowed it down to just 2
- Farm bill - second biggest climate opportunity (other than permitting reform) - why TSP is so important
- 2030 clean energy targets - offshore wind coming under threat due to rejections from several states; to hit these targets, we need offshore wind; also need to address coastal impacts; this is why RISEE is so important
- Persistence - get these across finish line
Bills supporting bipartisan climate action
CCL often identifies bipartisan bills that have been introduced that could be useful secondary asks. Our primary objective in promoting these bills is to encourage bipartisanship on climate solutions policymaking 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 secondary 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 secondary asks list is not exhaustive; if there is a bill your group would like to use as a secondary 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 secondary ask. If any of them are a source of conflict within your group, please pick a different secondary ask.
The value of secondary asks
After making the primary ask and subsequent discussion, it may make sense to make a secondary 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 secondary 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 “secondary 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
- (1:07) Review Of Congress Currently
- (3:34) Primary Ask: The Energy Permitting Reform Act
- (15:31 ) Secondary Ask
- (18:32) Why IRA Repeal Attempt is Likely
- (19:24) How The Repeal Could Happen
- (24:27) The Co-Primary Ask for Republicans
- (28:11) Why This Ask Now and Conclusion
- Q&A Discussion is a separate video here: https://vimeo.com/1032393965
- Ben Pendergrass
- Danny Richter
- View or download the Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/lobby-slides
- Download the video
- (0:00) Intro & Agenda
- (1:07) Review Of Congress Currently
- (3:34) Primary Ask: The Energy Permitting Reform Act
- (15:31 ) Secondary Ask
- (18:32) Why IRA Repeal Attempt is Likely
- (19:24) How The Repeal Could Happen
- (24:27) The Co-Primary Ask for Republicans
- (28:11) Why This Ask Now and Conclusion
- Q&A Discussion is a separate video here: https://vimeo.com/1032393965
- Ben Pendergrass
- Danny Richter
To prepare yourself, research the full suite of resources for planning a meeting with a member of Congress.