Sunrise Launches New Strategy for 2023 and Beyond

Today, in the wake of historic youth turnout securing a Democratic Senate and flipping many state legislatures, Sunrise Movement announced a new strategy for 2023 and beyond. This plan is grounded in the political and scientific realities of our time - with eight years left to stop the worst of the climate crisis, two years remaining of Biden's term, and the threat of Right-wing authoritarianism on the rise, it's clear Sunrise must take its organizing up a notch.

"Coming off of a really successful five years of raising the urgency on climate and forcing the federal government to deliver bold action, we're going back to our roots and focusing on building an unstoppable movement to win a Green New Deal," said Varshini Prakash, Executive Director of Sunrise Movement. "Organized people power across the country - especially in swing states - is key to shifting national politics and policies. We will create the conditions to shape the 2024 election and force the government to pass even more Green New Deal policies on a national scale come 2025. Mark my words, our generation is taking over."

Sunrise's plan is a multi-year strategy to elect even more Green New Deal champions at all levels of government, organize high school students to transform schools, build power in Black, brown, and working class communities, and pass Green New Deal policies in cities and towns across the country.

The next iteration of Sunrise campaigns are designed to:

• Win Green New Deal legislation. Sunrise will set its sights on controlling state and local governments and institutions to force politicians to be accountable to our generation and win Green New Deal policy in cities and towns across the country,
  Build people power. Sunrise will recruit thousands of young organizers and tens of thousands of supporters across race and class to harness people power and train the next generation of Green New Deal leaders - especially in the key swing states politicians need to win,
• Take over. In organizing people and institutions - from folks in our barber shops to politicians at every level of government - Sunrise will build enough power to ensure the demands of the people are acted on at the national level.

"Local investment is something the GOP knows well. They spent the past few decades organizing and polarizing communities on the ground to build power. That's how they were able to reverse Roe v. Wade despite a Democratic trifecta. And they're not stopping now," said Prakash. "If they win, it will mean a death sentence for our generation. That's why we must be as ambitious as our opponents. We can't resort to the same tactics we've used in the past. It's time for us to get serious about building long-term power and organizing a movement across race and class that can take over every level of government and transform society."

In the new year, Sunrise will launch a series of campaigns, from a Green New Deal for Schools, to campaigns across the country for free public transit and other climate legislation on the local and state level. Sunrise will also continue to keep pressure on President Biden to use the full scale of his executive power to stop the climate crisis - especially in the wake of a Republican controlled House.