John,
Yesterday, we had a big win: The Democratic National Committee voted to reverse its rule banning candidates from participating in any kind of climate debate. Up until now, the DNC’s stance was that they refused to host a climate debate AND that any candidate who took part in a climate debate hosted by a third party would be banned from all future Democratic debates
This is huge, but it’s not enough. Because when the time came for the DNC to decide whether they would hold a climate debate themselves, they voted no.
Tell the DNC that we need them to lead in the fight against the climate crisis by holding an official Democratic Climate Debate. Sign the petition now.
Yesterday the Democratic Party tried to say that it’s not their responsibility to make climate action a priority. They want someone else to do the work they should be doing as a party.
But if Democratic leaders truly care about the lives and futures of the millions of people impacted by the climate crisis every day, they need to lead on this issue and hold an official Democratic Climate Debate.
The fight isn’t over. This initial vote happened in a small committee packed with DNC chair Tom Perez’s anti-climate-debate allies. But the call for a climate debate could still come up again this Saturday at the DNC’s full voting session, where we have 100+ allies who’ve pledged to vote yes. If that happens, I really think we could win this.
As the vote took place today, the committee room was standing-room-only, packed with over 350 Sunrisers and our allies. And before the climate debate resolution came to a vote, it inspired an hour of heated discussion. One DNC member put it this way: "I got over 300 calls this month alone about this issue. I cannot ignore the grassroots movements.”
Our pressure is clearly working. And we’re only going to keep ramping it up. Today, 700+ young people are rallying in downtown San Francisco near where the DNC’s national meeting is taking place. Together, we’re demanding the DNC take another vote on the climate debate at Saturday’s full meeting, and that all our Democratic representatives vote yes.
Join our call. Sign the petition to tell Democratic Party leaders to step up and treat the climate crisis like the emergency it is by holding a climate debate.
Thank you.
Varshini Prakash
