Big update – A few weeks ago, we were protesting on the White House lawn, demanding an infrastructure plan that meets the scale of the climate crisis. On Monday, Scientists around the world released their 6th and latest findings on climate change, and called it “Code Red for humanity”. Just in time to respond to the crisis, Senator Bernie Sanders and others announced a deal to pass a $3.5 trillion infrastructure package that gives us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to win big and bold investments in climate solutions, the care economy, jobs, and justice. Now we need to #SealtheDeal!
The Senate is expected to join the House on recess in a few days and will head home to districts to negotiate the details of this big infrastructure package. And if recent history shows us anything, it’s that the fossil fuel industry and their allies will stop at nothing to try and water down, amend, or cut that plan. That’s why we’re joining dozens of organizations at the Green new Deal Network for a nationwide day of action on August 19th to push Congress to invest in our communities and climate!
Join the national #SealTheDeal Day of Action on August 19: Find an event near you here, or sign up to host an action here, and tell Congress its past time to invest in care, climate, jobs and justice!
Here’s what’s been happening:
When he was first elected, Biden proposed 3 big plans: The American Rescue plan – which invested about $2 trillion in COVID relief, healthcare, and fixing the damage the pandemic did to family incomes – has already passed. The other two plans – The American Jobs plan, which dealt with climate and infrastructure; and the American Families Plan, which dealt with education and the care economy – were supposed to invest about $4 trillion in building back better, and building back fossil free.
A few weeks ago, President Biden seemed to declare defeat on both those plans when he announced a bipartisan deal that invested less than 25% of the $4 trillion he’d proposed, and did nothing about climate change. We responded with a week of protest under the banner #NoClimateNoDeal to tell Congress to either act on climate or abandon the bipartisan plan. Things seemed to get better for a bit, but the but the bipartisan plan was still the only “deal” in DC.
The bipartisan plan passed this morning, and if anything it’s even worse then when President Biden announced it in June. But fortunately, there’s a new deal too. Thanks to relentless pressure all summer from activists like you, Progressive members of congress have already made it clear they won’t vote for the bipartisan bill unless there’s also a deal to pass Biden’s $4 trillion plan and act on climate. And last night, our old friend and champion Bernie Sanders announced the deal to pass a $3.5 trillion spending plan that invests in climate action – that, combined with the $500 billion bipartisan plan, puts us back on track!
Sen Sander’s deal isn’t perfect – we’re getting close to Biden’s promised $4 trillion investment to build back better, but not the $10 trillion investment we called for in the THRIVE Agenda. More importantly, it isn’t done yet. There’s a lot of work to be done over the next few weeks to make sure Congress invests the money in things we need: like solar power, electric cars, education, and healthcare; And nothing we don’t: like fossil fuel subsidies, corporate bailouts, or tax cuts for billionaires in space.
Two committees in particular have been given a lot of leeway: Sen Wyden’s Finance committee in the Senate and Rep Richie Neal’s Ways and Means Committee in the House. How those two committees (and their Democratic Chairmen) vote in the next few weeks will tell us a lot about whether we’re getting sold out, or getting the investments we need. And wouldn’t you know it, there’s an event planned in both their home-towns on August 19!
Wherever you live, and whoever represents you in Congress, this is an important moment to take action. Congressional Democrats have indicated support for Sanders’ $3.5 Trillion deal. But ExxonMobil, Mitch McConnell, and corporate Democrats will take any chance they get to cut that back.
Help us take action this August and tell Congress that 1) We want to see them fight to invest every dollar of Biden’s $4 trillion build back better plan for the people – no cuts! 2) We need them to #BuildBackFossilFree by protecting investments in climate solutions, care, jobs, and justice.
Click here to attend or host an event on August 19th. Let’s #SealTheDeal!
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