FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Conservatives to meet and lobby Republicans for climate solutions
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 6, 2022 — This month, conservatives from across America will gather in the nation’s capital to explore climate change solutions that they will then take to Republican members of Congress during a day of lobbying.
“With Republicans controlling the House of Representatives, further progress on climate change will require a bipartisan approach,” said Madeleine Para, Executive Director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, which is hosting the event. “Republicans on the Hill need to hear from fellow conservatives about solutions that align with their values.”
The Conservative Climate Leadership Conference and Lobby Day will take place March 28-29 and will focus on opportunities for climate progress in this Congress.
One of those opportunities is permitting reform, which is necessary to speed new transmission lines to carry clean energy to the places where it’s needed. Participants at the conference will hear from Neil Chatterjee, former Commissioner and Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), about the need to quicken the permitting process.
Speaking on the Climate Now podcast earlier this year, Chatterjee said, “Much has been made about the substantial investment that Congress has put down on the clean-energy transition: a $369 billion investment. Yet, some studies have stated that the projected emissions-reduction goals that could be achieved by the IRA would be dramatically reduced if we don’t considerably pick up the pace at which we build out transmission in this country.”
In recent years, more and more Republicans in Congress have acknowledged the need to address climate change. Attendees will hear from Rep. John Curtis (R-UT-03), founder and chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus in the House, which now has 72 members. The purpose of the caucus is to “educate House Republicans on climate policies and legislation consistent with conservative values.” Rep. Curtis will lead off the conference on March 28 and then hand the mic over to Luke Bolar, Chief External Affairs Officer at ClearPath, who will review the Republican climate policy agenda.
On March 29, following a brief lobby training, attendees will head over to the Hill to meet with Republican offices. In addition to permitting reform, they will lobby for nature-based climate solutions, such as preserving and expanding forests.
For conservatives concerned about climate change, the conference can offer a refuge. Speaking from his own experience, CCL Conservative Outreach Director Drew Eyerly said, “My road around the climate issue was very tough. I was too left for my right-of-center social groups. You know, why am I worried about climate change? For my left-of-center social groups, I wasn’t extreme enough. I really felt alone. Being with a group of people who share your values and also want to solve climate change is an antidote to that isolation.”
The event marks the official return of organized, in-person lobbying for Citizens’ Climate Lobby, whose volunteers have conducted meetings with members of Congress mostly online since the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020.
“Meeting face-to-face in congressional offices makes a huge difference,” said Ben Pendergrass, CCL Vice President for Government Affairs. “Our effectiveness as advocates depends on building relationships, and nothing beats being in the room when it comes to that.”
The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn – Washington Capitol, 550 C Street SW, Washington DC, 20024.
CONTACT: Flannery Winchester, Senior Director of Communications, flannery@citizensclimate.org, 615-337-3642
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Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy organization
focused on national policies to address climate change. Learn more at citizensclimatelobby.org.
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