ICYMI: PELOSI, CONGRESSIONAL CHAMPIONS, AND CLIMATE GROUPS RALLY TO PASS CLIMATE ACTION IN THE BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
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Speaker Pelosi and Congressional Climate Champions Vow to Pass the Build Back Better Act with Strong Climate Provisions Ahead of the President’s Visit to the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20th, 2021
Contact: Jason Phelps, jason@climatepower.us
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Speaker Pelosi and 10 House and Senate Democrats representing states and districts in every region of the country joined Climate Power, Climate Action Campaign, and the League of Conservation Voters at a rally outside the Capitol to make a clear, consistent call to pass the Climate Test with the Build Back Better. Act.
This unified push shows that Democrats remain committed to meeting the Climate Test by cutting climate pollution in half by 2030 in a way that delivers justice centered climate action, reduces families’ bills, and creates millions of quality jobs. While a framework for the larger legislation has yet to emerge, an overview of recent studies published today shows that different versions of a final bill can meet the President’s goal.
David Roberts wrote today, “the loss of the CEPP would take a big chunk out of those emission reductions — more than a third, if things go poorly — but there’s a chance some of that can be made up with other policies.” He cites recent research from Energy Innovation, Resources for the Future, Rhodium Group, and Princeton’s REPEAT project to support this point. Today’s rally shows that democrats in Congress are committed to fighting for a bill that achieves the climate action America needs.
The event featured a coalition of congressional leaders on behalf of Climate Power, League of Conservation Voters, and the Climate Action Campaign, including Speaker Pelosi, Sen. Heinrich, Sen. Lujan, Sen. Smith, Sen. Heinrich, Sen. Booker, Sen. Carper, Rep. Castor, Rep. Kim, Rep. Khanna, Rep. McEachin, Rep. Neguse, and Rep. Stansbury.
Key quotes from from participating members:
Speaker Pelosi (D-CA): “For the children we must save this planet that we will pass onto future generations with great responsibility. It would be a dereliction of duty to build the infrastructure of America without doing so in a green way that protects the planet. And that’s exactly what Build Back Better does.”
Sen. Booker (D-NJ): “This is a moral moment in America. We will be judged by generations yet unborn, we must seize this moment. It is a carpe diem moment for our country. And I believe that together, Democrats will come together, will rise up and live up to this challenge we have in this moment in history.”
Sen. Carper (D-DE): “The most important ingredient for success in any organization I’ve ever been a part of is leadership… that is the key. And we are receiving extraordinary leadership from Joe Biden, extraordinary leadership.”
Sen. Heinrich (D-NM): “We have waited too long, we can’t wait any longer. This is our moment to Build Back Better. This is our moment to meet the challenges that we will be judged by by our children, our grandchildren, and future generations. We can’t fail and we can’t wait. Let’s get this done and let’s Build Back Better.”
Sen. Lujan (D-NM): “It’s getting harder for families that have long depended on a little bit of sustenance coming from that ground, being able to grow the food that they depend on, to feed their families. Fires are getting hotter, more destructive, droughts just seem to become a way of life. We can’t let that happen, we can’t let that thinking just settle in such that lives have changed without taking significant action, and we have that opportunity right now, it’s right in front of us.”
Rep. Kim (D-NJ): “It’s the right thing to do. It’s absolutely what we need to get done. This is not the time for politics…what I’m thinking about is: what kind of world are my 6 and 4 year old baby boys going to grow up in? What will the world look like in 2030, 2040, 2050? So if you want to ask me what date I’m thinking about it’s not 2022, it’s about the date that I can look my kids in the eyes and say we have done everything we humanly can to give you the kind of future and healthy planet that you deserve. This district that voted for Trump twice understands climate change…. Thousands of people were displaced… we need the change now, and people in my district, Democrats and Republicans, all agree upon a bold climate agenda that we need to pass now…. This is a bigger moment and greater threat to national security than anything I’ve ever worked on.”
Rep. Stansbury (D-NM): “We recognize that our country, our planet, our globe, are at a crisis point, and this Build Back Better act is our opportunity to show the world that we mean business. In less than two weeks our president, President Joe Biden, will touch down in Glasgow, and when he steps off of Air Force One we need to show that the United States means business.”
Rep. McEachin (D-VA): “We know that we cannot address the climate crisis without helping these groups that I’ve cited, these environmental justice communities… You cannot address the climate crisis without making sure this core group of people are taken care of… we keep those groups at the core of the discussion, but as we turn the page, as we look tomorrow.. We still have work to do.”