Table of Contents: CCL grassroots heighten climate Take action this week CCLer on Ed Cohen Upcoming trainings

With Congress focusing on a host of new issues on the forefront, climate might not be in the spotlight right now, but is still on the table.

“Congress has to deal with Biden’s Supreme Court pick, funding the government to avoid a shutdown, the China bill that passed the Senate last week, the upcoming State of the Union address, and Russia’s actions regarding Ukraine, so Congress is pretty distracted right now,” explains CCL’s Vice President of Government Affairs Danny Richter. “That's not necessarily a bad thing, because they are going back to the drawing board on Build Back Better, which needs time. Though they are going back to the drawing board, President Biden, Sen. Manchin, and Speaker Pelosi have all agreed that climate will definitely be a part of it.”

Fortunately, our grassroots efforts across the country have made it clear to every member of Congress that climate policy is a high priority. That includes our CCLers in West Virginia, who have been working hard to sway their senator. 

In the fall, CCL West Virginia recorded 30 video messages from constituents around the state urging Sen. Manchin to vote for strong climate legislation that includes a price on carbon. CCLers also spoke to Manchin through op-eds published in local newspapers. CCL’s West Virginia state coordinator, Jim Probst, got his message through in several op-eds, including a piece published on Nov. 23 in the Charleston Gazette-Mail. He opened his op-ed by noting that in 2019, Manchin said, “It’s past time to begin addressing the climate challenges we face both at home and across the world.” Jim hasn’t let his foot off the pedal either, getting another op-ed published this week as he reaches out to West Virginians.

In other news this week

•  In-depth about BBB: CCL’s Director of Government Affairs Jenn Tyler explained updates to Build Back Better last week, reaffirming that “climate and energy provisions are some of the easiest to reach consensus on and thus should be the centerpiece of the slimmer bill.” You can see Jenn’s update here.
• House Democrats encourage climate provisions: Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA-49) led an effort among House Democrats this week encouraging the President to take action on climate, regardless of the status of Build Back Better. Like and share the tweet here.
• Now hiring: CCL is currently hiring an economist and a strategic partnership manager. You can find more information and apply here.
• Black History Month: Throughout the month of February, CCL will be highlighting Black environmentalists whose work has been pivotal to the climate movement. Check out our kick-off post here.
• Citizens’ Climate Radio Ep. 68: In this episode, Flannery Winchester discusses her circuitous route from studying English to becoming CCL’s Communications Director. Listen now!