We and other climate and environmental justice advocates celebrated U.S. House passage of the joint budget resolution last Tuesday. It had previously passed the Senate. Now we are fighting to maximize its investments in climate action, clean energy, jobs, and justice as the detailed Build Back Better Act is hammered out in House committees over the coming weeks.
NC State AFL-CIO President MaryBe McMillan and our Executive Director Carrie Clark issued a joint statement praising the members of our state congressional delegation who voted for the resolution. They said, “We thank Representatives Alma Adams, G.K. Butterfield, Kathy Manning, David Price, and Deborah Ross for advancing this landmark budget resolution. Now the hard work begins. In allocating this funding, Congress must invest in bold climate action that creates family-sustaining union careers for hard-working North Carolinians and which ensures economic and environmental justice for all communities — Black, brown, indigenous, and white.”
The budget resolution passed the House on a party-line 220-212 vote. Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressed through a deal that kept both moderate and progressive Democratic members of Congress on board with the resolution’s approval and the timing of subsequent votes.
“This is a historic step forward for people and the planet. We commend Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats for putting the health and well-being of our communities first in passing [the budget resolution],” said national League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski. “The investments Congress is setting in motion through the budget resolution, and will deliver in reconciliation, must cut carbon pollution by at least half by 2030 and put our nation on the path to 100% carbon-free energy powering our electricity grid and new cars, buses, and buildings by 2035 while delivering at least 40% of investment benefits to communities of color and low-income communities that have borne the brunt of fossil fuel pollution.”
Tell your members of Congress to support the Build Back Better Act now!
