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We Are Resolute: Biden and Schumer Must Deliver on Climate

For our best shot at a livable future with lower energy bills, healthier communities, and millions of new good-paying clean energy jobs, we need the climate investments in the Build Back Better Act.

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Wednesday, December 22, 2021

This time of year, there’s inevitably a lot of talk about resolutions. Many of us commit to make big changes for our health, to pursue a new career, maybe to save money.

We were supposed to finish 2021 and kick off 2022 with the Senate passing the Build Back Better Act—a bill that would be a historic step toward America’s clean energy future, with smart investments that will create millions of new jobs, advance environmental justice, drive down energy bills, and reduce climate pollution.

But now, President Biden faces a defining test of leadership as Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) recently announced he would vote no on the Build Back Better Act, citing, in part, concerns that he could not justify it to voters in West Virginia. This is at odds with polls showing that BBBA is popular across the country, including in his home state, and with analysis showing that West Virginians would reap substantial benefits from the bill.

When future generations look back on this presidency, will they remember a President Biden who fought to ensure a liveable future?

President Biden and Leader Schumer must get it done and deliver the climate investments in the Build Back Better Act now. Here’s why.

The Climate Investments in BBBA Are a Resolution for Our Health

The climate provisions in BBBA are essential for our health and well-being: These investments reduce pollution, help prevent future climate disasters, and safeguard a liveable future.

Fossil fuel pollution is already killing people around the country. Right now, power plants across the US are spewing air pollution that poisons millions of people, especially those in our most vulnerable communities—like Theresa Landrum’s. And worse yet, when climate disasters strike, it’s these vulnerable communities that are hit first and worst.

President Biden is visiting Dearborn, Michigan today - next door to 48217, the most polluted zip code in the state.

The President and Congress pledged to protect and invest in these communities. They can start delivering on that pledge by passing the American Jobs Plan. pic.twitter.com/RJdK1CFvbt
— Evergreen Action (@EvergreenAction) May 18, 2021

The BBBA delivers 14 times the greenhouse gas pollution reductions achieved by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed into law in November. If Schumer and Biden fail to get these investments across the finish line, it will mean missing the president’s pledge to cut greenhouse gas pollution at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Investing in bold climate action now means investing in the health and well-being of Americans today and for generations to come. We cannot let this moment pass us by.

The Climate Investments in BBBA Are a Resolution for Good New Jobs

Building a clean energy future is good for our economy. The transformative climate investments in BBBA will create millions of new good-paying clean energy jobs––including more than 1.2 million from just a few of the tax credits included in the package, and 300,000 from the Civilian Climate Corps alone.

The transition to a clean energy economy will be labor-intensive. Electrifying buildings, building clean energy infrastructure, manufacturing new tech like electric vehicles and solar panels—all of this new work can create stable, good-paying jobs. Bold climate spending is an investment in that potential.

The Climate Investments in BBBA are a Resolution to Save Money

Families around the country are facing record fossil fuel energy costs to keep the lights on and their homes warm. And the clean energy investments in the Build Back Better Act are the answer to these rising fossil fuel costs.

While fossil fuels are volatile and expensive, clean electricity is already cheap and getting cheaper. Don’t just take our word for it. We can see it in states that have implemented ambitious clean energy policies—like Illinois, where utility bills declined as the share of renewables on the grid increased: for residential buyers, per-kilowatt-hour prices fell by 17% from 2009 to 2014. One analysis found that clean energy investments can help unlock an average energy cost saving of $500/year for American households.

Passing the climate provisions in BBBA would mean families and businesses across the country saving $9 billion a year on energy bills. Not passing these provisions would mean fossil fuel executives will continue to line their pockets while energy prices surge. It’s a no brainer.

Failure Is Not An Option

We are more resolved than ever: For our best shot at a liveable future with lower energy bills, healthier communities, and millions of new good-paying clean energy jobs, we need the climate investments in the Build Back Better Act.

It’s clear that Senator Manchin is out of step with Democratic voters, who know climate action is good for our health, our wallets, and our economy. Climate action was a central issue in the 2020 election. Record numbers of voters, including 83% of Democrats and 56% of Independents, consistently ranked government action on climate as a top priority.

We are fervently committed to ensuring that the White House and Congress deliver on bold climate action when they reconvene next month. It’s not “new year, new me” this time. In 2022, it’s new year, new clean energy future. And failure is not an option.

Democratic leaders must ensure that, one way or another, these climate investments make it across the finish line next year. This is our last best shot to enact national policy that deals with the climate crisis at the scope and scale that’s necessary.

If you are resolute in getting bold climate action passed through Congress, join our email list now to get action alerts, straight to your inbox, on how you fight back at this pivotal moment.