Citizens Climate Lobby

New calculator compares carbon pricing bills; Another cosponsor for H.R. 763

	CCL Weekly Briefing, Sept. 25, 2019

Table of Contents:
	Briefing from Danny
	Lobbying: Working with Rep. Garcia
	This week on the CCL blog
	Training topics
	Action Team updates

Thanks to CCL volunteers, momentum is building for climate solutions

Momentum is building for bipartisan climate solutions in Congress, and a lot of that momentum is coming from outside Washington, thanks to our CCL volunteers. More than 1,000 prominent individuals, local governments, businesses, faith groups and nonprofits have expressed support for the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. That support is helping to drive a surge in the number of House members signed on to the bill, 64, more than any carbon pricing bill has ever had.

We’re seeing progress in the Senate, too, where Indiana Republican Senator Mike Braun and Democratic Senator Chris Coons will be teaming up for a bipartisan working group on climate change. Echoing CCL, Braun told the Washington Examiner that climate change should be a “bridge issue.”

Hear more about what’s happening in Washington from CCL VP for Government Affairs Danny Richter.

WATCH DANNY'S BRIEFING

Other news this week:

Great Lakes Regional Conference: Over the weekend, 186 volunteers from the Great Lakes Region gathered for a conference in South Bend, Indiana. Read more.

New carbon calculator: Resources for the Future just released a new tool that assesses the environmental and economic impact of carbon pricing bills before Congress, including the Energy Innovation Act. Read more.

Op-ed from Mark in The Hill: On Friday, The Hill published an op-ed from CCL Executive Director Mark Reynolds about the momentum gathering in Congress to price carbon. Read and share.

Another cosponsor for H.R. 763: Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) signed on to the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act this week. You can tweet your appreciation to him and other recent cosponsors.

CCL and #ClimateStrike: Lots of CCL volunteers participated in last Friday’s climate strike. If you have an Instagram account, you can watch our story highlight to see posts from CCLers on strike.

Lobbying: Persuading Rep. García to cosponsor

With new cosponsors for H.R. 763 coming on board every week, CCL volunteers make it look easy. In truth, though, it takes hard work and persistence. In the case of Rep. Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL), it started with congressional liaison Benjamin Van Horne visiting García’s legislative director back in February. There was a face-to-face meeting with García in the district in March and then another meeting in D.C. in June, after which the legislative director said he would recommend cosponsoring. At a public event in the district during August recess, García surprised everyone by announcing he would cosponsor when Congress came back into session. In the end, it was persistent engagement with the member and his staff, plus a good number of emails, letters, and phone calls from CCL volunteers that all added up to a cosponsorship.

CCL volunteers are regularly activating the “five levers” of political will in their communities. To talk with other CCLers about their lobbying activity and get advice or ideas for your own, head to the “Lobbying Congress” forum on CCL Community.

VISIT THE FORUM

This week on the CCL blog

More advocates, less emissions: A multi-site approach in Idaho allowed CCL chapters across expansive areas to connect and discuss important issues without requiring physical attendance. Read more.

Training topics

CCL offers two ongoing learning series: Citizens' Climate University for existing volunteers, and Core Volunteer Training for new volunteers. Here are the next few sessions you can join:

9/26 Citizens' Climate University: Motivational Interviewing Basics - Want to more effectively connect with members of Congress and other influencers? This technique will help. Learn more.

10/1 Core Volunteer Training: Print Media Basics - Getting published can influence members of Congress. Learn how to get started. Learn more.

10/3 Citizens' Climate University: Carbon Dividend Calculator - Learn how to assess the economic impact of our bill with this easy-to-use tool. Learn more.

To see upcoming topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.

Action Team updates

Featured Action Team: Dana Nuccitelli leads CCL's Science Policy Network Action Team, which provides climate science insights. On the first Tuesday of each month, the team invites all CCLers to join a call with a climate scientist for an "Ask Me Anything" webinar. Ask your climate science questions in the Forum of the Science Policy Network Action Team, and then call in on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT to hear University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences Professor Logan Mitchell (pictured) answer your questions. Prof. Mitchell's research interests include understanding the processes controlling emissions, transport, and chemistry of trace greenhouse gases and air pollutants across a range of timescales.

You can learn about, join, and get call details on the Science Policy Network Action Team page.

Other upcoming calls …

9/25 - Team OIL Action Team call at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
9/25 - Climate & Environmental Justice Action Team call at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
9/26 - Presenters & Schedulers Action Team calls with Schedulers at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and Presenters at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
10/2 - Coal Country Action Team call at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT
10/2 - Climate & Culture Action Team call at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
Visit the full event calendar for dial-in details and future events

To check out all of CCL's Action Teams and join any that interest you, head to the Action Team directory on CCL Community.

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