Sunrise on WV v. EPA: The System Is Rigged, We Will Keep Fighting

In response to the harrowing Supreme Court decision on West Virginia v. EPA, Sunrise Movement National Spokesperson, John Paul Mejia, released the following statement:

"I am heartbroken and enraged. Today, it is hard to believe that our government will ever do anything to combat climate change. Our hearts are with young people all across this country who are crying out for meaningful action on the existential crisis of our time.

"Decisions like today's ruling in WV vs. EPA make it clear just how much the system is rigged against us. This decision threatens the government's ability to stop the climate crisis, and it hands over more power to corporate executives. A Supreme Court that sides with the fossil fuel industry over the health and safety of its people is anti-life and beyond broken. We cannot and will not let our Democratic leaders standby while an illegitimate court and the GOP goes on the offense.

"Democrats must expand the Supreme Court. President Biden must use the full extent of his executive powers to justly transition our country to 100% renewable energy. And we will not stop fighting. We need young people to organize and build an unstoppable movement for a Green New Deal. We still believe, one day, we will win."

Sunrise Movement will join the Green New Deal Network, Indivisible, and other partners today for a virtual press conference in response to the ruling. You can register for that by replying directly to this email.

Sunrise is calling on President Biden to build upon and expand his use of authority by,

• Ending the practice of leasing public lands and waters for fossil fuel production,
• Stopping the issue of permits for any new fossil fuel infrastructure, including pipelines, petrochemical plants, and export terminals, especially Line 3, Line 5 and the Mountain Valley Pipeline,
• Declaring a Climate Emergency,
• Updating and strengthening outdated standards limiting particulate matter, ozone, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, mercury, coal ash, and tailpipe emissions, as well as lead and copper rules preventing contamination of drinking water,
• Finalizing new methane standards for new and existing oil and gas operations, and by making these standards strong enough to cut methane pollution at least 65 percent below 2012 levels by 2025, and by
• Directing the EPA to designate greenhouse pollutants as criteria air pollutants and set a science-based national pollution cap under the Clean Air Act.