Adam Beitman, adam.beitman@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A premature attempt to vote on the Senate’s bipartisan infrastructure legislation in the House of Representatives did not happen, putting back on track President Biden’s bold Build Back Better agenda, including historic climate investments.
In Response, Sierra Club President Ramón Cruz Released the Following Statement:
“Sierra Club thanks all House Democrats who insisted that President Biden’s historic agenda of climate action, clean energy jobs, health protections, and racial justice investments move forward before a premature vote on the inadequate bipartisan infrastructure bill.”
“Ultimately, the bipartisan infrastructure bill had to wait for now because, in significant measure, it fails to tackle the climate crisis without the broader companion Build Back Better Act.
“Once again, Capitol Hill is being forced to reckon with ‘No Climate, No Deal,’ meaning we must deliver on clean energy tax credits, a Clean Electricity Performance Program, a Civilian Climate Corps and more to reach our national commitments to cut climate pollution. If Congress does not deliver on these policies, our country will not meet the ‘climate test’: cutting climate pollution in half by 2030 and transforming our power sector to achieve 100% clean electricity while investing in communities that have borne the brunt of the unjust status quo.”
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE BIPARTISAN BILL:
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On its own, the bipartisan bill contains numerous flaws and does not meaningfully tackle the climate crisis, which is the number one need of any infrastructure legislation.
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While the bill invests in some important programs, it fails to meet this crucial moment. The package provides inadequate funding for climate action, clean air and water, the creation of good jobs, and racial, economic, and environmental justice.
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Some provisions in the bipartisan deal would actively cause harm by supporting fossil fuels, harming frontline and Tribal communities, endangering the health of forests and public lands, and undermining hard-fought protections for clean air and water and environmental justice.
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Sierra Club’s full analysis of the bipartisan deal can be found here.
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Click here for a spreadsheet with a line-by-line comparison of the Build Back Better Act, the bipartisan deal, President Biden’s American Jobs Plan, and the investment levels backed by economic modeling and movement organizations.
WHY IT IS URGENT TO PASS THE BUILD BACK BETTER RECONCILIATION BILL:
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Right now we have an opportunity to finally pass the generational climate action bill we desperately need, whereas passage of a flawed bipartisan infrastructure bill by itself would not substantially advance climate action and will not meet the “climate test” we must pass to cut climate pollution in half by 2030.
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The only way to tackle the country’s interconnected crises — climate change, racial injustice, economic insecurity, and public health — at the scale required is for the bipartisan deal and reconciliation package to move in tandem.
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The Sierra Club’s priorities for the Build Back Better Act reconciliation bill are policies which are needed to reach our national climate commitments, including advancing major clean energy tax incentives, a Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP), a fee on methane polluters, funding for electric vehicles, protesting the Arctic Refuge, environmental justice block grants, and a Civilian Climate Corps, all of which are outlined here.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.