Last week, youth climate leaders with Sunrise Movement held a sit-down in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s office to demand that a new Democratic House create a special committee tasked with addressing the climate crisis and creating a Green New Deal.
Vox called it “a plan for addressing climate change that actually scales to the problem and has some chance of influencing the party’s agenda.”
And importantly, the Sunrise Movement resolution would task the special committee with developing climate policies that center environmental, economic and social justice. Pelosi said she’s open to creating such a committee, but other members of Congress, including progressive climate champions, aren’t necessarily on board yet.
It’s important for climate—and climate justice—to have its own forum in the new Congress. For Take Action Tuesday, please consider getting organizations of which you’re a part to join Sunrise Movement’s call for a special committee to address the climate crisis.
The youth leaders in this movement are asking other congressional offices to get on board, too. Contact your member of Congress here, including through social media, email and requesting meeting. If you have a new member of Congress, you may need to contact them through their campaign office or social media accounts since they will not have a formal office open until January.