Sunrise Responds to Biden's State of the Union Address: "Our Movement Won't Wait"

Following President Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, Sunrise Movement's Communications Director, Zina Precht-Rodriguez, issued the following statement:

"Tonight, President Biden once again framed the climate crisis as a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity. But this isn't the first time we've heard Democrats repeat back our "climate action equals jobs" rhetoric. In President Obama's first joint address in 2009, he called on the country to "transform our economy" and "save our planet from the ravages of climate change" by making "clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy." Now, twelve years later, we are faced with an escalated climate crisis, but with twelve fewer years to deal with it.

"Nevertheless, Biden is right about this: doing nothing is not an option and our movement won't wait any longer for politicians to enact the first pillars of the Green New Deal. In order to deliver on their climate mandate, Biden and Congress must pass $10 trillion of investment over the next ten years to end our unemployment crisis and put millions of Americans to work in good, union jobs to stop the climate crisis. If Biden is serious about creating millions of jobs to stop the climate crisis, he must do everything in his power to pass into law:

• Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Markey's Civilian Climate Corps (CCC) for Jobs and Justice Act.
• A Clean Energy Standard to advance environmental justice and support a transition to renewable energy.
• The PRO Act to ensure all jobs created are good, union jobs where workers are protected and guaranteed the right to organize.

"We've been down this road before. The right rhetoric didn't save us then, and it won't save us now. Our movement won't wait for climate action. So show us your next best move."