The headlines are beginning to get dire:

• “Congress is in crisis. There’s no clear escape.” — Politico
• “No clear spending deal as Congress inches closer to government shutdown” — Fox News
• “Facing a Shutdown, Congress Melts Down” — The New York Times

With just DAYS to go before the government funding deadline, we are no closer to a deal that would avert a catastrophic government shutdown.

Yet extreme Republicans in Congress are still so committed to pursuing their pro-polluter agenda and killing hard-won critical climate investments that they don’t appear to care about the cost.

Lawmakers must reject all attacks on the landmark climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). We need to rally a huge public outcry before it’s too late.

Tell your members of Congress to reject the demands of a few extremist lawmakers and stop this imminent government shutdown in its tracks.

Make no mistake— this shutdown will directly harm the American people. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be forced to go without paychecks. Critical emergency services will be shuttered. National parks and refuges will be closed, food stamp payments delayed, social security cards unissued. People will pay the price around the country.

And as yet another summer of extreme heat has underscored, it’s immoral and unacceptable to delay climate action, hurt domestic clean energy production, and worsen climate impacts for people across America and the world.

But some extremist members of Congress are still angling for a shutdown, holding the country hostage with outrageous spending bills that are completely out of step with the American people.

Even members of their own party are raising alarm bells. “We’ve been seeing this coming ... I just didn’t think we were dumb enough to get there,” Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) said.

Here are just a few of their dangerous anti-climate proposals:

• Rescinding a whopping $4.5 billion from IRA clean energy programs — directly undermining and blocking several of the IRA’s pro-climate goals
• Slashing EPA funding by 39% and prohibiting the EPA from enforcing the Clean Air Act — endangering our ability to protect communities from air, water, chemical, and climate pollution
• Cutting $14 billion intended to address environmental health impacts in underserved communities — abandoning communities that have been historically left behind

Shutting down the government would be a reckless move with disastrous consequences for people all over the country. Congress must reverse course before it’s too late.

Tell Congress: No shutdown, no cuts to critical climate investments. Avert a disastrous government shutdown now.

Thank you for continuing to fight with us.

Sincerely,

Kevin S. Curtis
Executive Director, NRDC Action Fund