CCL on debt limit: We can't turn back on climate policy
Last week, House Republicans passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act, a bill to raise the debt limit that would also roll back many of the climate measures enacted in groundbreaking legislation last year. In a statement, CCL said, "The legislation would gut the climate and clean energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), representing a 'two steps forward, one step back' pattern that we simply cannot afford on climate policy. We are disappointed to see that the House passed this legislation, thanks to the near-unified support of House Republicans." In the days leading up to the House vote, many CCL volunteers called congressional offices, urging lawmakers to reject any legislation that would impede action to achieve U.S. climate goals. "We hope our volunteers’ voices will shape lawmakers’ future actions, encouraging them to leave climate policy intact through the debt ceiling debate and beyond," CCL's statement said. The House measure is not expected to be passed in the Senate, and President Biden has promised to veto the bill if it reaches his desk. The debt limit issue could come to a head sooner than expected, as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently told congressional leaders that the government could run out of money as soon as June 1. As negotiations continue, CCL will watch closely to see if further action is needed to protect the clean energy incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act.
In other news this week: • Permitting reform: In the House, Democrats Sean Casten and Mike Levin released their proposal to speed up approvals, and in the Senate, Joe Manchin reintroduced his bill. Watch for a video update soon from our Government Affairs staff that will recap the latest developments and share how CCL is pushing the permitting conversation in a positive direction. • Citizens’ Climate Radio: This month’s episode of Citizens’ Climate Radio dives into the not-so-cool effects of air conditioning on climate change. • CCLers lobby in Texas: Texas volunteers recently organized a statewide lobby day, meeting with 66 offices — 47 Republicans and 19 Democrats. |
