Open Letter: Climate Can’t Wait
November 3, 2021
Dear President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer and members of the 117th Congress:
As many of you join world leaders in Glasgow for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), at home, we are at a pivotal, history-making moment for climate action and the future of our nation. We can either meet this “code red moment for humanity” or miss our last, best chance to tackle the climate crisis and to build a more equitable and just economy with millions of good-paying union jobs. The decision is in your hands as you consider the Build Back Better Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
As environmental, climate justice and progressive leaders, we often write to you to support or oppose critical policies to protect our communities, our families, our natural resources and our planet, but today, we are writing to you because this moment is different. This is it. This is our climate moment. This is YOUR climate moment.
If enacted, the Build Back Better Act will be the most significant climate and environmental justice action in history. It will meet the Climate Test by putting us on a path to cutting emissions in half by 2030 while creating millions of good-paying jobs, making historic investments in environmental justice, saving families at least $500 a year on their energy bills, and putting our clean energy economy into hyperdrive.
Congress needs to get this done and failure is not an option. We cannot miss this moment.
Put simply: A vote against the Build Back Better Act will be a vote against climate action, environmental justice, and the future of our nation.
It is clear the Build Back Better Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are linked together. While concerns remain with some provisions in the bipartisan infrastructure bill, we are calling on Congress to move immediately to pass both packages. That is what is necessary to meet this moment to protect families today and build a clean energy future and healthy communities for generations to come.
Now is the time to get these packages to the floor and vote to tackle the climate crisis, address environmental injustice, support working families, and build an equitable clean energy economy. Let’s get it done.
Sincerely,
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
American Federation of Teachers
Black Millennials for Flint
Center for American Progress
Clean Wisconsin
Climate Action Campaign
Climate Power
Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action
Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
Defend Our Future
Earthjustice
Environment America
Environmental Defense Fund
Evergreen Action
GreenLatinos
Green The Church
Interfaith Power & Light
League of Conservation Voters
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Parks Conservation Association
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council
Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance
Progressive Vietnamese American Organization (PIVOT)
Sierra Club
The CLEO Institute
The Climate Reality Project
The Wilderness Society
Union of Concerned Scientists
WE ACT for Environmental Justice