Senate Finance Committee Now Considering Carbon Pricing
from CCL Community, 9/3/2021
News broke today in Bloomberg, The Hill, and NBC that the Senate Finance Committee is considering carbon pricing as part of the reconciliation bill. This is a huge validation of all of our work over the past decade and especially the past few months.
The document leaked to the press says they are considering, “a per-ton tax on the carbon dioxide content of leading fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas) upon extraction, starting at $15 per ton and escalating over time…paired with rebates or other direct relief for low-income taxpayers, as well as a border adjustment to ensure foreign companies also pay the tax.” It’s obvious that our message has gotten through!
While this is exciting we also need to be clear this is still the beginning of the process. We need to work now to push for this to be included in the draft legislation expected to be released on September 15th, and to make sure it stays in the bill until it is passed by Congress and signed into law.
Take Action Now
Social Media – Please like, share, and comment on our posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagra
LTEs and Op-Eds – This is a great time to focus on letters to the editor and op-eds. If your paper picks up the news leak, you can appreciate and support the Senate Finance Committee’s interest in carbon pricing. Additionally, your paper’s coverage of climate disasters or the budget reconciliation process offers a news hook to express your strong desire for a price on carbon!
Coming Soon
Next week we will be rolling out a new campaign focused on contacting President Biden in support of carbon pricing, and also following up with more messages to the Senate. We will also be working with Liaisons on when and how they should reach out to MOC offices. We will provide you with more info next week.
I know it’s been a rough couple of weeks for all of us concerned about the climate with all of the wildfires, hurricanes, and floods. I hope this news gives you a little joy and you get some great rest over the holiday weekend. And that we can all jump into more climate action next week!