Breakthrough in Senate Climate Bill Negotiations

Last night, Senator Joe Manchin changed course and announced his support for a climate, jobs, and justice bill alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.¹ The bill, known as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, would amount to the most significant congressional action to address climate change ever, while also helping address inflation and reducing energy costs for families.

Given the back-and-forth over the past few months, you’d be excused if you’re feeling some emotional whiplash. What makes this moment different? We have the text² of a bill that Senator Manchin has signed off on and we're more optimistic than ever that this will pass with your help.

Among the many gains we’d see under this deal:

• Major investments to expand clean energy and clean manufacturing that creates jobs
• Greater funding and incentives to help electrify cars, trucks, and buses, cutting emissions that disproportionately affect communities of color
• Support for making our homes and businesses more energy efficient
• Significant investments in environmental justice efforts in frontline communities

If passed, this bill would also put us on the path to cutting our carbon emissions by as much as 40% by 2030³ and on better footing to meet our obligations under the Paris Agreement.

Call your senators at 1-855-980-2275 now to help get this bill across the finish line—or text “senators” to 69866 and we’ll connect you.

See below for a sample script to use during your call

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Hi, my name is [First Name] and I’m calling from [City] to ask my senator to support the Inflation Reduction Act.
With the impacts of climate change becoming more apparent every day, passing this bill would be a historic win for our climate and for families dealing with the impacts of inflation.

Thanks for your time.

The Senate may vote as early as next week on this bill as it moves through a process called budget reconciliation, requiring only a simple majority to pass. With Republicans committed to obstruction, that means we cannot afford to lose the vote of a single Democratic senator.

This momentum is a testament to volunteers, organizers, and folks like you who have worked tirelessly to advocate for a strong bill that takes action on climate, jobs, and justice. Together, we’ve organized countless lobby visits, action parties, and rallies, made tens of thousands of calls to Congress, and sent even more messages. Our people-powered movements across the country simply refused to take no for an answer.

I'm going to be honest with you—there are some aspects of this bill that will be hard to swallow, including provisions that could lock us into federal oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters, exacerbating the climate crisis and in direct opposition to Sierra Club’s vision for our public lands.

Thank you for being part of this movement and making this breakthrough possible. We’ll continue to keep you updated on how you can help get this transformative bill across the finish line in the coming days.

For those who have Republican senators, we still encourage you to make a call. While Republican obstruction is the reason this bill must be done via a special reconciliation process, we believe it’s important for every senator to hear from their constituents in support of this bill and climate action in general. Dial 1-855-980-2275 or text “senators” to 69866 to be connected.

1. Sierra Club: Congress Must Pass the Inflation Reduction Act Immediately, July 28, 2022.

2. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Senate Democrats.

3. Joint Statement From Leader Schumer And Senator Manchin Announcing Agreement To Add The Inflation Reduction Act Of 2022 To The FY2022 Budget Reconciliation Bill And Vote In Senate Next Week, Senate Democrats.