DEVELOPING… the Senate has voted 52-48 to restore restrictions on the emissions of methane, reversing a Trump order from his final months in office.

The vote passed under the Congressional Review Act — a law allowing Congress to reverse rules implemented at the end of a presidential administration using a simple majority vote.

Friend, the House still needs to vote, and every indication is that it's going to be tight. The oil and gas industry is throwing serious resources into pressuring lawmakers in swing states. At current count, they only need to flip a few votes to win.

We can't let them succeed. It's flown under the radar, but some are calling this one of the most important climate votes the Senate has ever had. Methane is an incredibly potent greenhouse gas — many times more damaging than carbon dioxide.

We're calling on a response from every LCV member right now. Success is going to depend on grassroots pressure. To keep our campaigns going, we've set a $100,000 fundraising goal before the end of May, and a group of donors has agreed to triple every contribution.

If you're in a position to — donate today. Even $5 is enough to make a difference — every contribution is being triple matched right now »

We need to move quickly to reverse the damage Trump did with his methane rule. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that methane levels saw the largest annual increase on record in 2020.

This is serious — methane is responsible for 25 percent of the climate change we are experiencing today, and disproportionately impacts low-income and communities of color who bear the brunt of the effects of climate change and pollution. The Senate vote paves the way for the EPA to move forward with widely supported, sensible safeguards for methane and other air pollution from oil and gas production that would go a long way towards dismantling environmental racism and improving public health.

The solution here is simple. The gas industry just needs to take basic steps to minimize methane leaks. Even some in the gas industry are on board with this — for them, it means they can sell more of it.

Friend, we can't afford to go dark in the leadup to the vote in the House. I really hope we'll hear from you today. We've set a $100,000 fundraising goal before the end of May, and a group of donors has agreed to triple every contribution. We're asking:

Pitch in. Triple your impact. This fight is too important to miss »

Thanks so much, friend. We'll be in touch soon with next steps.

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters