Politics – Voices of Austin @CCLATX

You can watch the fall conference on YouTube.

Our original post:

Please join Citizens’ Climate Lobby for the annual fall conference, which will be held online. Citizens’ Climate Lobby is pushing climate action forward! What to expect:

Equip yourself to be an effective climate advocate in the current political landscape.
Learn the policy details of permitting reform, a critical component of America’s clean energy future.
Reconnect with CCL’s values and unique culture, so you’re ready to carry our new strategy forward. Questions? Email: conference.inbox@citizensclimate.org.

*Follow this link to learn more and register!*

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a non-profit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change. Our core values include:

We are focused on solving climate change. We move Congress to pass big solutions that will ensure a healthy climate. We also work on complementary solutions that help us work together in our communities and foster a more collaborative environment in Congress.
In the face of challenges, we choose optimism — that people are good, that democracy can work, that we can solve climate change, and that we are greater than our flaws. Optimism turns our concern about climate change into action, and it’s catching on — more and more people join us every day.
We empower everyone in exercising their personal and political power regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, ability, or political affiliation. We continue to bring awareness of important issues to all our volunteers and foster a sense of belonging to our organization.
Our approach is thoughtful and thorough. We are prepared — we consult experts, use data, and solicit feedback before forming opinions or making decisions. We follow up when we are asked. We keep on going even when it’s hard. People know that they can count on us to be consistent and to do what we say we will do.

If you haven’t already joined Citizens’ Climate Lobby and the secure online conversation platform, please do. It is free to join! Then you will have access to a wide variety of resources, you can join affinity groups based upon your interests, you can receive training (live or recorded), and more! The Austin chapter has a its own page on the website, and there you can discover local events held throughout the year, from happy hours to monthly meetings and official “lobby” days. We would love to have you join us!

*For a preview of issues to be covered during virtual lobby meetings this fall, follow this link to the, “Lobby Meeting Toolkit.”*

Follow Up

Now that the conference is over, you might enjoy this panel discussion featuring CCL Congressional Liaison Manager Mindy Ahler, Action Team Director Drew Eyerly, and Vice President of Government Affairs Jenn Tyler. Mindy, Drew, and Jenn review the outcome of our annual Conservative Climate Leadership Conference and Lobby Day and answered questions about lobby meetings, asks, and the importance of sending right-of-center volunteers to meet with Republicans.

IRA Handout Download

Original Post …

Next week is the Citizens’ Climate Lobby Conservative Conference and Lobby Day in Washington, D.C. Right-of-center CCL volunteers will meet with Republican offices. Their primary request in the lobby day meetings will be to preserve the clean energy tax credits of the Inflation Reduction Act. And we will probably be defending the IRA’s clean energy tax credits for a while! Budget reconciliation takes a long time as all the spending and cuts get hammered out. This is an essential start to the process.

The resolution the United States House of Representatives just passed as we post this article, directs all the committees in the House to either spend or cut certain amounts from their budgets for the next 10 years. Remember, the budget reconciliation process is a partisan one and Republicans are in charge of it this time. So, it is strategically helpful that Republican offices will hear first from fellow conservatives on this issue.

CCL’s national office notes,

“Some energy provisions and regulations that relate to the clean energy tax credits would fall under the jurisdiction of the Energy & Commerce Committee, which as noted earlier, has to cut $880 billion. But tax credits themselves are in the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee. That committee can spend an additional $4.5 trillion, but that amount is intended to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. So, when it comes to the clean energy tax credits, we’re likely to see a collaborative discussion across these key committees.”

If you haven’t already joined Citizens’ Climate Lobby via its secure community platform, do so today! It is free to all, and once you sign up – including joining our “TX Austin” chapter – you will receive information direct to your inbox. Although registration for our Conservative Climate Change Leadership Conference and Lobby Day is now closed, you will definitely want to be following the proceedings and checking YouTube for any recordings that are posted there.

Follow-up actions for all volunteers including those in our TX Austin chapter will be shared by the staff of Citizens’ Climate Lobby as well. We need your help now more than ever!

Sign up here to be a part of our free secure conversation platform!
Join the National Monthly Meeting online, for a recap about the Conservative Conference and Lobby Day: Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 12 noon Central Time.