Letter to Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States - Negotiations on Historic Climate Investments

Letter

Dear Mr. President,

We write to thank you for your leadership in working to deliver the For The People Agenda to all Americans. Under your leadership, we passed several pieces of critical legislation to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic and to revitalize our economy. While these are significant steps forward, we still have more to achieve in accomplishing your vision for the next generation. As the leaders of the House Democratic Caucuses urged in a joint statement on March 1, we must take action on policies you have proposed to support American families and address the threat of climate change. The more than $555 billion in climate investments in the House-passed Build Back Better Act can serve as the building block to restart negotiations.

When it comes to addressing the crisis of our rapidly warming planet, the February 28th, 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forcefully concluded that time is running out: "Any further delay in concerted anticipatory global action on adaptation and mitigation," the world's scientists wrote, "will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all." Leading the world in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will require a monumental effort, and the climate components of Build Back Better are an indispensable foundation.

Throughout 2021, we bore witness to the devastating impacts of the climate crisis, further illustrating why transformational action cannot wait. Inaction now will mean irreversible consequences for our future generations. Given the widespread agreement in the U.S. Senate for House passed climate provisions, we have an opportunity to recommence negotiations with climate serving as a key starting point.

During your State of the Union address, you called for decisive action on clean energy and climate change. We were encouraged to hear you discuss how families will save an average of $500 per year on their energy costs through investments and tax credits. With your support, urging Congressional leaders to move forward with these climate provisions would mark the largest climate investment in our nation's history, setting the United States on course to meet our 50-52% greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets by 2030, while creating millions of good paying union jobs, reducing energy costs for consumers, advancing environmental justice, investing in climate resilient housing and community infrastructure, and strengthening our economy.

In just the past four years, record setting wildfires, superstorms, and heat waves have already cost our country tens of billions of dollars more in damages. Damages have also included the loss of homes and the displacement of families across the country--the effects of which disproportionately impact communities of color. It is clear that climate change is a threat multiplier to our economy. Responding now will protect American families and businesses against the most devastating financial impacts. But the longer we wait, the more expensive it will be to transition at the speed required, and we will have incurred billions in damages and harm to our communities, infrastructure, environment, and public health and safety along the way.

We are committed to working with you to realize the totality of the Building a Better America vision. Restarting negotiations with climate action is a clear path forward to deliver tangible results to the American people. Your leadership in these negotiations will ensure that we can pass on a safe, healthy, and vibrant society and planet to our children.