Last week, Senator Chris Van Hollen played a key role in advancing historic climate change

legislation. He joined his colleagues on the Senate Budget Committee in proposing a $3.5 trillion package to invest in clean energy, promote public health, and secure good union jobs.

Much work is still ahead to get this package through a “budget reconciliation” process in the full US Senate and the House. But last week’s committee agreement was a giant first step. And as a Maryland resident who knows Senator Van Hollen personally, I want to tell you we are lucky to have his expertise on such a critical committee at such a critical time.

Please thank your US Senator Chris Van Hollen for his tremendous work getting the Senate Budget Committee to agree to spend $3.5 trillion to fight the climate crisis and build back better.

The agreement reached last week would be the biggest public investment in this country since the Great Depression. It was no easy feat to get consensus among all the Democrats on the Budget Committee, some of whom lean more conservative. You won’t hear him brag about it, but personal, one-on-one conversations Van Hollen had with his colleagues on the committee played an important role in sealing the deal.

To be clear, $3.5 trillion is the floor, and we want to see that number go up from there. President Biden has proposed spending over $4 trillion between his American Jobs Plan and his American Families Plan. Some of what the President wants is covered by a fragile, separate, and more limited bill that has some Republican support. But that bill could implode at any time, meaning Democrats in Congress need to be ready to embrace the $3.5 trillion Budget Committee package and more, if needed, to solve the interlocking crises of our time.

Please thank your US Senator Van Hollen for all he has done to get the Budget Committee to agree to spend $3.5 trillion to fight the climate crisis and build back better.

Now that the Senate Budget Committee has put down the strong marker of $3.5 trillion in investments, our clean energy movement must work hard to get all 50 Democratic Senators on board, including Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

So, again, there’s a lot of work to be done between now and late September when final votes are expected. Using the budget reconciliation approach to avoid a Repubican filibuster means there is no room for error. Thank goodness we have climate champions like Van Hollen to work with us.

Say thanks to him, won’t you?

And learn more about last week’s Budget Committee agreement here and next steps for Congress here.

Sincerely,
Jamie DeMarco
Federal Policy Director
Chesapeake Climate Action Network and CCAN Action Fund

https://act.ccanactionfund.org/page/31461/action/1?