Improving the climate conversation in Congress
CCL works with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Constituents meet regularly with their members of Congress to ask them to help solve the problem of climate change, and to support solutions that will make a meaningful difference. This approach has helped pave the way for better conversation on climate change in Congress. Congress is moving beyond debating the science of climate change to discussing climate solutions.
CCL has been instrumental in the formation of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucuses in Congress. The House Climate Solutions Caucus formed in 2016, and the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus in 2020. Republicans and Democrats meet to discuss climate change issues and policy solutions. They lay groundwork for future collaboration on climate change solutions.
Legislation in Congress
Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL-22) introduces the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act in Washington, D.C. on November 28, 2019
The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act was introduced in Congress in 2018. At the time, it was the first bipartisan carbon pricing bill in over a decade. Subsequently, it was reintroduced in the House of Representatives as H.R. 763 in January of 2019 in the 116th Congress.
The Energy Innovation Act calls for a carbon fee & dividend policy that will reduce carbon emissions quickly and give a monthly cash payment to Americans. This policy is very similar to the carbon fee & dividend policy CCL has supported for over a decade. So, CCL has built support for the Energy Innovation Act in Congress, and in local communities, including:
- 80+ cosponsors. Over 80 members of Congress from 22 different states including Illinois, Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Texas cosponsored the bill in the 116th Congress.
- 1500+ endorsements from prominent individuals, businesses, faith groups, local governments, and nonprofit organizations.
There were several bills relating to climate change introduced into the 116th Congress, many of them with bipartisan support. CCL supports these climate change-related bills in Congress when they are complementary to carbon pricing. Since June 2019, CCLers have helped advance the following bills by building support with their members of Congress:
- USE IT Act
- RECLAIM Act
- BEST Act
- DISASTER Act
- Climate-Ready Fisheries Act
- Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act
- Growing Climate Solutions Act
State level accomplishments
CCLers hold a sign of support after the Clean Energy DC Act became law in March, 2019
While the majority of our work is focused at the national level, CCL has also supported strong climate policy at the state level, including:
- Oregon – executive order to establish a cap and trade program (2020)
- New York – Climate Leadership and Communities Protections Act (2019)
- Maryland – Clean Energy Jobs Act (2019)
- Washington, D.C. – Clean Energy D.C. Omnibus Act (2018)
- Colorado – Climate Action Plan to Reduce Pollution (2019)
How we work
Behind our accomplishments are 195,000+ grassroots supporters: organized, persistent, and incredibly persuasive. Learn more about how we work.