Climate provisions at the center of BBB restructuring
During a press conference last week, President Biden acknowledged that the way forward for Build Back Better, was a trimmed version of the bill. Both the President and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) have stated that climate provisions will be the easiest portion of the bill to reach a consensus on, making it the centerpiece for future negotiations. Jenn Tyler, CCL’s Director of Government Affairs, is a critical part of our D.C. legislative team led by Danny Richter. She explains the importance of recent Build Back Better developments. “There's still a lot left to be decided by the Senate and the White House, including what would the trimmed down package actually look like? How are they going to reach 51 votes?” Jenn acknowledges. “A lot is still uncertain, but the one thing that is very clear is that the climate provisions are at the top of the list.” While we likely have a couple more months to go in this process, this moment is a significant victory for CCL: there is consensus across members of Congress that in spite of potential changes to BBB, meaningful climate policy must stay. “The fact that climate change provisions have not only remained on the table but have risen to be the centerpiece of reconciliation is in large part due to the countless calls and emails you all have sent,” Jenn says. “Your voices are being heard. We need to keep it up. While we do definitely still face an uphill battle, a climate-centric reconciliation package provides a new opening for price on carbon.”
In other news this week:
- Sen. Romney urges carbon price: As discussions continue about Build Back Better’s climate components, Republican Senator Mitt Romney suggested, “If you’re serious about climate, put a price on carbon.” Read more in the New York Times here.
- Passing the baton: CCL’s Madeleine Para is officially our new Executive Director! You can congratulate Madeleine and share the news here. CCL’s former Executive Director, Mark Reynolds, will join the governing board this year.
- Now hiring: CCL currently has several remote positions open. These positions are for an economist and a strategic partnership manager. You can find more information and apply here.
- Two new cosponsors: The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act recently gained two new cosponsors: Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV-01) and Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06). These latest cosponsors are evidence of the continued growing support for carbon pricing across Congress as a whole, thanks to advocacy from volunteers like you!
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