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For Immediate Release

Sunrise Responds to Biden's Call for Congress to End Fossil Fuel War Profiteering

Today, following the speech by President Biden in support of ending fossil fuel profiteering, Lauren Maunus, Advocacy Director for Sunrise Movement, released the following statement:

"We're thrilled to hear President Biden's support for a Windfall Profits Tax to hold oil and gas companies accountable to their disgusting price gouging. This is what Democrats should have been championing all year. And we hope that placing blame on the corporations responsible for making gas prices so high, and offering a solution, will resonate with voters by November 8th.

WASHINGTON

Today, following the speech by President Biden in support of ending fossil fuel profiteering, Lauren Maunus, Advocacy Director for Sunrise Movement, released the following statement:

"We're thrilled to hear President Biden's support for a Windfall Profits Tax to hold oil and gas companies accountable to their disgusting price gouging. This is what Democrats should have been championing all year. And we hope that placing blame on the corporations responsible for making gas prices so high, and offering a solution, will resonate with voters by November 8th.

"But working people are hurting, the climate crisis is destroying our communities, and calling for Congress to act is not enough. This administration must also immediately pass a suite of climate executive actions and use the Defense Production Act to expedite our transition to renewable energy and end our reliance on fossil fuels."

This comes as Big Oil companies are set to announce their second highest quarterly profits ever - second only to last quarter - reportedly raking in over $50 billion dollars from just the last 90 days. That's on top of the more than $100 billion they made in the first half of this year. As they continue to make record profits, corporations are causing sky high inflation for working people.

Sunrise Movement has been calling on President Biden to use his power to protect working people and stop the climate crisis, including by:

  • Declaring a Climate Emergency,
  • Expanding and further funding a ramp up of renewable energy manufacturing under the Defense Production Act,
  • 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.

Sunrise stands with the climate movement and members of Congress including Reps. Ro Khanna, Jamaal Bowman, and Senators Bernie Sanders and Sheldon Whitehouse who have been pushing for a Windfall Profits Tax for months.

Sunrise Movement is a movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.