April, 21 2021, 12:00am EDT

300,000 People Send a Clear Message to Biden: Time's Up for Fossil Fuels
Photos and Video Available Here.
WASHINGTON
Today, youth strikers, climate impacted communities, and climate and environmental justice activists joined together to escalate the demand for President Joe Biden to #BuildBackFossilFree and stop all new fossil fuel projects, ahead of his Leaders Summit on Climate starting tomorrow, from April 22-23.
A Climate Clock traveled from Union Square in New York City to the White House in Washington, D.C. with a petition demanding Biden and world governments stop all fossil fuel expansion. Speakers represented climate impacted communities and the demands of the 300,000 people who signed the Build Back Fossil Free petitions. Speakers also demonstrated the inherent connections between climate and racial justice, with today's action taking place the day after the guilty conviction of Derek Chauvin in murdering George Floyd. Watch the recording here.
"On Day 1 in office, Biden cancelled Keystone XL. Now he must do the same with Line 3, the Dakota Access pipeline, and all new fossil fuel projects. There can be no meaningful climate action if we don't keep all fossil fuels in the ground. By doing so, Biden will show the world that the U.S. is serious about facing the climate crisis at scale and centering the communities most impacted," said Natalie Mebane, Policy Director of 350.org.
Biden's Leaders Summit on Climate presents a key opportunity for world leaders to commit to bold, transformative climate ambition ahead of COP26 in Glasgow this November. A projection of the climate clock has also been installed in Glasgow. Biden and world governments must drastically increase emission reduction targets to limit global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius. To do that, they must keep fossil fuels in the ground, including by stopping all new fossil fuel projects.
"The Biden Climate Summit is a big opportunity for the administration to end all fossil fuel projects that threaten our sacred lands, Manoomin(Wild Rice), Treaty's, and waters. There is no such thing as safe fossil fuel pipelines -- all pipelines leak -- and there is no time left to delay on bold climate action to protect my community and communities around the US," said Silas Neeland of White Earth Nation.
Morgan Brings Plenty, Social Media Intern at Indigenous Environmental Network added, "The Dakota Access pipeline is an illegally operated pipeline; it has never had all of its permits. Biden has it in his authority to shut it down. Yes, he shut down Keystone XL on Day One, but he needs to shut down all of Trump's pipelines', including DAPL, Line 3, and Mountain Valley. We will not accept anything less then the complete shutdown and removal of DAPL. Respect our existence or expect our resistance."
"I traveled from cancer alley to Washington, D.C. because our community is being poisoned by oil, gas, and petrochemical industries," said Sharon Lavigne, founder and director of RISE St. James. "We are fighting for our survival. President Biden must fulfill his promise to tackle climate change and environmental racism by revoking permits for Formosa Plastics' proposed petrochemical complex in St. James, and placing a moratorium on all new and expanding petrochemical plants."
As communities continue to rebuild and recover from the compound crises of COVID-19, racial and economic injustice, and devastating climate disasters, we are sending a clear signal to the Biden-Harris administration: it's not enough to Build Back Better -- we demand a Just Recovery to Build Back Fossil Free.
"As a young, Black environmentalist, I am clear in my demands that Biden must be resolute and proactive in his actions in order to avoid the worst of the climate crisis," said Elsa Mengistu, Climate Justice Consultant. "First and foremost, we must keep fossil fuels in the ground. Communities that make up all of what I am are the ones who are bearing the brunt of this climate crisis and that is why I call for comprehensive, community-conscious, holistic solutions that do not leave us behind. If we truly want to tackle this exponential crisis, I believe it's imperative that Biden centers and takes lead from communities of color and community-created solutions in his climate action."
QUOTE SHEET:
Jane Kleeb, Founder, Bold Alliance: Pres. Biden stood with an unlikely alliance of farmers, Tribal Nations, and climate advocates to reject the Keystone XL pipeline. Biden is showing a bold and new standard of leadership that all Democrats and Republicans should follow--he respects our communities, and listens to climate science. We look forward to Keystone XL being the first, but not the last, of the Trump pipelines that Biden rejects as we start to create good-paying union jobs for clean energy and modern infrastructure.
Selden Prentice, 350 Seattle: "While US policy leaders have known of the existence of climate change for at least 40 years, little to no federal policy changes have been enacted to address it. Now is the time for bold policy initiatives that will by 2030: keep fossil fuels in the ground, create a clean (renewable) electricity grid, a clean transportation sector, and mandated regenerative agriculture by the dominant corporate agricultural sector. At the same time, the Biden administration must include policy initiatives that allow for a just transition for workers, and that address the needs of front-line communities most affected by climate change."
Julieta Biegner, Communications & Campaigns Officer, Global Witness: "It's simple: the US has no credibility as a global climate leader while flooding the world with climate-wrecking fossil fuels. To show true climate leadership, President Biden must act to stop all new fossil fuel projects, which includes banning fossil fuel exports and protecting communities from environmental injustice."
Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director, Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN): "The clock is ticking, we are in a climate emergency, and we can no longer afford any further fossil fuel extraction, infrastructure, or false climate solutions that continue to prioritize profits over people. To address the escalating climate crisis, we must build back fossil free; and that requires listening to and respecting the rights of Indigenous communities, shutting down fossil fuel pipelines and petrochemical plants, and investing in community-led climate solutions and a care economy. The era of fossil fuels is over, and the time for a rights-based, just transition to regenerative, renewable energy is now."
Thomas Meyer, National Organizing Manager, Food & Water Watch: "Climate leadership starts at home. If President Biden wants to regain credibility with other world leaders, he first needs to regain the trust of the people in the United States who are most harmed by fracking and other dangerous fossil fuel projects. Whatever commitment the President announces tomorrow to reduce emissions will be meaningless without concrete action to keep fossil fuels in the ground."
Laura Berry, Research Lead, Climate Clock: "The Climate Clock makes clear the speed and scope of action that political leaders must take in order to limit the worst impacts of climate devastation. We'll never run out of time to fight back against climate disruption -- but we have less than seven years until we pass a critical threshold for limiting global warming below 1.5oC. We need real solutions from the Biden Administration in order to reach zero emissions as quickly as possible and to build the fossil fuel free, renewable energy future that climate justice demands."
Kassie Siegel, Director of the Center for Biological Diversity's Climate Law Institute: "To be a credible world climate leader, President Biden needs to stop approving all U.S. fossil fuel infrastructure and end oil and gas exports. He also needs to use his executive powers to declare a climate emergency and spur a democratic clean-energy revolution. From ending environmental racism in Cancer Alley to shutting down pipelines like Dakota Access and Line 3, we need Biden to seize this moment to be the climate president and build back fossil free."
350 is building a future that's just, prosperous, equitable and safe from the effects of the climate crisis. We're an international movement of ordinary people working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.
LATEST NEWS
'Out-of-Step With American Values': Newsom Vetoes Key Labor Bills
The California governor on Saturday rejected bills that would have given unemployment insurance to striking workers and OSHA protections to domestic employees.
Oct 01, 2023
California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed too important pieces of labor rights' legislation on Saturday: one that would have given unemployment insurance to striking workers and another that would have extended protections to domestic employees.
Newsom's vetoes come as both California and the nation have seen a number of high profile strikes this year, including by Hollywood writers and actors.
"This veto tips the scales further in favor of corporations and CEOs and punishes workers who exercise their fundamental right to strike," California Labor Federation leader Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher said in a statement. "At a time when public support of unions and strikes are at an all-time high, this veto is out-of-step with American values."
Senate Bill 799, which passed in September, would have offered unemployment insurance to workers on strike for 14 days or more. It came while both the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) were out on strike in the first writer and actor double-feature work stoppage in 60 years.
In a statement, Newsom said he was vetoing the bill for economic reasons, arguing that the state's unemployment insurance had been governed by the same financial structure since the 1980s, was "vulnerable to insolvency," and already expected to be almost $20 billion in debt by the end of the year.
"Now is not the time to increase costs or incur this sizable debt," Newsom said.
However, The Sacramento Beepointed out that Newsom's veto might have been made politically easier by the fact that the WGA ended its strike Wednesday after reaching a tentative deal with the studios.
Democratic State Sen. Anthony Portantino, who introduced the bill, said he thought the summer's labor actions only showed how necessary the bill was.
"I am disappointed in the Governor's veto," he tweeted. But he said the fight wasn't over.
"The need continues and so will efforts to make this law in CA," he said.
Also on Saturday, Newsom delivered another blow to the state labor movement when he vetoed SB 686 to give domestic workers protections under the state's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
"I'm deeply disappointed that the governor doesn't recognize the inherent worth and dignity of those women who care for our homes and families by vetoeing SB 686," tweeted the bill's author Sen. María Elena Durazo. "That measure would've insured that domestic workers have the same occupational health and safety protections as others."
This is the second time that Newsom has vetoed a Durazo bill along similar lines, the Los Angeles Timesreported. The last was in 2020.
Newsom argued then and now that it is not possible to regulate private homes like businesses. For example, the bill would have required homes that asked cleaners to use bleach to provide eyewash stations.
"I am particularly concerned given that approximately 44% of the households that employ domestic workers are low-income themselves, that this bill creates severe cost burdens and penalties for many people who cannot afford them," he wrote in his veto message.
The bill was backed by the California Domestic Workers Coalition and immigrant rights groups like the Instituto de Education Popular del Sur de California.
Nancy Zuniga, a program manager for that group and a supporter of the bill, said she was inspired by her mother who is still cleaning homes at 63, though Zuniga hopes she can retire.
"If we don’t protect domestic workers, what condition will she be in when she reaches that moment?" she asked the LA Times. "A lot of them will do this until they pass."
According to a 2020 report from the University of California, Los Angeles, 85% of domestic workers live with muscular and skeletal injuries.
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'Meet the Needs of People': CBPP Pres. Parrott Tells Congress How to Avoid the Next Shutdown Showdown
"In divided government, appropriations bills must be bipartisan to pass," Sharon Parrott said, adding that the House must "shift its approach."
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With a government shutdown narrowly avoided hours from the midnight Sunday deadline, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities president Sharon Parrott had advice for how lawmakers could move forward.
"With a stopgap measure in place, Congress needs to pass funding bills that meet the needs of people, communities, and the economy and eschew cuts already rejected in the debt ceiling agreement," Parrott wrote Saturday on the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
Parrott noted that the House was only able to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government temporarily funded Saturday when Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) abandoned attempts to pass partisan spending bills and instead pivoted to a bipartisan, clean CR with no additional social spending cuts or right-wing policies tacked on.
"They shouldn't repeat this mistake as Congress moves to complete full-year funding bills that meet the nation's needs."
"In divided government, appropriations bills must be bipartisan to pass," Parrott continued Saturday. "That's how the Senate has crafted funding bills this year, and today's House CR vote shows it is the only path forward. But that means the House needs to shift its approach."
In an August report, David Reich of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) observed that the House appropriations bills up until that point had been passed along partisan lines, with Republicans including steeper cuts to non-military spending than those negotiated in the debt ceiling agreement, rolling back Inflation Reduction Act funding earmarked for addressing the climate crisis and modernizing the Internal Revenue Service, and tacked on riders attacking LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and reproductive freedom.
"The House's sharply partisan approach is likely to make it harder to reach an agreement on final funding bills," he predicted accurately.
Now that the House has passed a temporary clean CR, Parrott urged Republicans to learn from the experience.
"It took House Republicans too long to abandon their partisan approach of deep cuts and controversial riders in a CR," Parrott said. "They shouldn't repeat this mistake as Congress moves to complete full-year funding bills that meet the nation's needs."
If they return to pushing cuts and poison pills, she warned, "that would only waste more time and risk more shutdown drama."
Whether House Republicans will heed her advice remains to be seen. As of Sunday, most of the talk within the party revolved around whether or not the far-right flank would challenge McCarthy's speakership over Saturday's compromise.
Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) toldABC News' This Week that he planned to file a motion in the coming week to remove McCarthy.
"I am relentless and I will continue pursue this objective," Gaetz said.
In response, McCarthy told Gaetz to "Bring it on" when speaking withCBS's Face the Nation.
"Let's get over with it and let's start governing," he said.
In a Sunday appearance on CNN's State of the Union, however, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez questioned the Republicans' ability to do that.
"The Republican Party right now is completely out of step with the American people," she said, observing that even self-described moderates had voted for spending bills that would cut funding for low-income schools by 80%.
"This is not a moderate party, period," she said. "There are not moderates in the Republican Party."
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Despite Saturday's reprieve, Sen. John Fetterman warned that "pushing the snooze button solves nothing, because these same losers will try to pull the same shit in 45 days."
Sep 30, 2023
A government shutdown was averted Saturday night after the Senate voted 89 to 9 to approve a stopgap spending measure passed by the House of Representatives that afternoon.
The agreement funds the government for 45 days and includes an additional $16 billion in disaster funding as New York City mops up from flash flooding following an extreme rain storm. It does not include aid for Ukraine.
"It has been a day full of twists and turns, but the American people can breathe a sigh of relief," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor. "There will be no government shutdown."
"This is not entertainment, it’s governance. We must not allow the Freedom Caucus to turn our government into The Steve Wilkos Show."
The bill now heads to President Joe Biden for his signature.
"This is good news for the American people," Biden said in a statement. "But I want to be clear: We never should have been in this position in the first place."
Biden criticized far-right Republicans in the House for demanding cuts beyond what the president had negotiated with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in a deal that progressives had already criticized for slashing programs for needy Americans and pushing through the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline.
"They failed," Biden said of the far-right bloc.
MoveOn executive director Rahna Epting pointed out on social media that "this entire crisis was a GOP manufactured one."
"The Republican controlled House of Reps couldn’t get their act together, and their endless infighting only transpired into bare minimum alignment at the 11th hour," Epting said.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) celebrated the fact that the far-right bid to enshrine even steeper cuts to the social safety net did not succeed.
"I’m delighted that Congress was able to avoid a painful and unnecessary shutdown," he tweeted. "I'm also pleased that programs working families need were not cut and that there was a good increase in funds for disaster relief which will help Vermonters rebuild from July’s terrible flooding."
Sen John Fetterman (D-Pa.), however, pointed out that the Republicans could force a similar crisis again on November 17 when the stopgap agreement expires.
"I voted at 8:30 pm on a Saturday night, that’s my job. But the American people should never have to worry about their government shutting down," Fetterman posted on social media. "Pushing the snooze button solves nothing, because these same losers will try to pull the same shit in 45 days."
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Epting also expressed concern about what would happen when the deal expired.
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Before the larger budget fight, Congress is now poised to take up the question of additional funding for Ukraine, something Biden, Schumer, and Sanders all flagged as a priority.
House Democratic leadership also said they expected a House vote on Ukraine funding soon in a statement reported by Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News.
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