Dear John,

Ever since we started the Temp Check, in the height of the Pandemic and racial justice uprisings of 2020, it has felt like there's too much going on and eventually it's going to let up. Well. This wasn't that month.

We're not going to belabor the things still capturing headlines. But in case you missed it, we want to make sure you're aware of the wholesale attack on communities across our country that came in the form of the House's Appropriations Bill. Like most years, this bill featured riders that had nothing to do with the federal budget, along with budget cuts that are a sneak peak of Project 2025.

When it comes to our work in particular, it reduces funding for the EPA by 20%, cuts funding for EPA's regulatory work, blocks consideration of climate change in the National Environmental Policy Act, cuts funding for Environmental Justice executive orders, and prohibits funding Climate Justice Alliance. This last part came as a shock to many of us, but honestly it's the least important part because if this bill is able to pass with the riders intact -- especially considering the recent Supreme Court rulings on EPA's Good Neighbor Rule and the Chevron Doctrine -- it will erase decades of progress for the Environmental and Climate Justice movements. We can't allow that to happen.

On Friday, we sent our position on the appropriations bill to Democratic leadership in both the House and Senate along with close allies and members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, among others, to strongly oppose it. The House Appropriations Committee approved the bill, which means it will go to the full House of Representatives for approval this week, where we anticipate it is likely to pass. From there it will go to the Senate for approval. 

Here's how you can help:

• Call your Representative and Senators today
• Share this video on social media and ask your friends and family to share it too
• Share your own feelings about the bill on social media and tag your Congress members

On June 16th, the CJA Black Caucus brought together 35 of its members to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. The goal and purpose of this gathering were to deepen the relationships between Black Caucus members, reground ourselves into the roots and culture of the Black Caucus, establish a structure for internal leadership, discuss regranting of 140k worth of funds that was granted to the Black Caucus, and set priorities for the rest of the year. During our time together, the Black Caucus brainstormed ideas during our work sessions, sat in on a regranting workshop to learn about the regranting process, and visited a plantation to honor our ancestors. Folks walked away from the Jubilee feeling refreshed, ready to contribute and engage further with the Black Caucus, and prepared to strategize. Overall, the Jubilee was a success.

Our Power Community members in the midwest region gathered for a three-day planning and visioning session hosted by Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network. This was the first in person meetup for the region since the formation of the regional infrastructure in 2020. During their time together, members from Soulardarity, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Kheprw Institute and DBCFSN spent time learning about eachothers work, building relationships, revisiting regional work and visioning on how the region can best work together to address their shared goals for their communities and region. Members also spent time grounding in the local Just Transition ecosystems thriving in the city. This included a visit to the newly opened and community owned Detroit People’s Food Co-op—a labor of love that took 20 years to complete, the seven-acre D-Town Farm, the largest of Detroit's many gardens and farms, as well as helping to kick start Food Justice Friday- a local food sovereignty and mutual aid pot luck.

This week CJA members and staff are coming together in Washington DC yet again to make sure our voices are heard. They are further developing our Change the Rules strategy, meeting with members of Congress, and attending a White House Summit. We'll have more to share on how things are panning out in the next temp check.