The Riverside Church Newsletter Archive - Live Justice Now -- National Appeal to Congress to Act on Climate

Background

“Global warming is upon us, and it’s going to get worse and worse and worse unless we do something about it, and that’s why it’s so imperative to pass the two bills [before Congress], the infrastructure bill and the budget reconciliation bill.” So said Senate
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sept. 2, after thirteen people had died in NYC alone from the flooding of Hurricane Ida.

Both the bills he mentioned are important, but the second is much more important in reducing greenhouse gases. The first, or infrastructure, bill would make the nation more resilient against future storms by repairing the nation’s roads, bridges and transit systems. The second, or budget reconciliation, bill would replace coal and gas power plants with wind, solar and nuclear. By promoting electrification wherever possible, it helps stop climate change.

Details

The Riverside Church, and its Beloved Earth Community, is calling on its members and friends, and indeed all concerned people across the nation, to write, call, and tweet their members of Congress, and President Biden, to fight hard for the passage of these two bills. Given the political climate in this country, this is probably the best chance we will have in the next few years to try to stop climate disaster.

The second, or budget reconciliation, bill faces strong Republican opposition, and even questions from a few Democrats. Besides climate, it expands the nation’s social safety net, and its cost is much higher. It is crucial that our Congressional representatives
hear from those of us who care deeply about our Earth, the gift given to us to hand on to future generations. Ask them not to weaken the climate provisions.

Call to Action

Please click on the link below for instructions on how to contact your representatives in Congress, your Senators and your Congressperson, as well as President Biden. Urge them to give their full support to the two climate bills pending before Congress. You
can use the sample letter provided. Act quickly as a vote is scheduled by September 27. You can follow up your email or tweet with a phone call.

(1) TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS:
https://www.congress.gov/contact-us

Enter your address and zip code into the box which says “Find your member by address” and click. The office location and phone numbers for your Senators and your Representative will appear. To get their email addresses, click on their name (underlined), and then click again on “Contact”, and you can send them an email directly from the page.

To contact President Biden: (202) 456-1111, email: president@whitehouse.gov.
U.S. mail address: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500

(2) SAMPLE EMAIL/LETTER FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS:
Dear Representative __________ or Senator _________:
The UN climate change panel, in its most recent warning on the need for action on climate, has made clear how desperate our situation is. Recent climate disasters across the world, not least those here in the US this summer, are a stark reminder of what is to come unless we take meaningful action without delay.

I am appealing to you to please accept your responsibility as an elected representative and give your full support to two climate bills pending before Congress. First, the bipartisan infrastructure bill helps address the effects of climate change on our roads, bridges and transit systems. Even more crucial is the second or budget reconciliation bill which seeks to address the causes of climate change. Provisions in this second bill must be made as strong and targeted as possible in order to stop the further buildup of greenhouse gases.

The lives of all of us and of our children and children’s children depend on action like this.

Thank you,
[your name, address, and email address]

Thank you for the time and love you give to this important day of action.