Today, in response to Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin’s comments that he was “not assuming that reconciliation” would be a part of the Senate plans in 2022, Evergreen Action Executive Director Jamal Raad released the following statement:

“Senator Durbin’s unfortunate suggestion that the Democratic caucus can achieve success without a reconciliation bill isn’t just wrong—it’s political malpractice. In 2020, Democrats ran on a commitment to bold climate action, and climate-focused voters carried them to victory. Those voters expect Democrats to keep their word, but right now an overwhelming majority of the voters Democrats need to turn out for the midterms think they aren’t doing enough to address the climate crisis. 

“The science is clear: Congress has not done nearly enough to meet Joe Biden’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas pollution. Democrats in the Senate were elected to fight for us. They cannot give up on Biden’s climate plan just 13 months into power. Majority Leader Schumer and Majority Whip Durbin must clearly lay out a plan for action on making reconciliation the top priority for Congress in 2022. 

“Senator Durbin’s apparent willingness to abandon his party’s agenda is an abdication of leadership in a moment where Democrats need to prove that they can deliver. For climate voters, that means passing a reconciliation bill with historic climate investments that will help us tackle this crisis, create good-paying clean energy jobs, and weaken Vladimir Putin’s grip on the global energy market. Failure is not an option.”

For more information on why Democrats need climate voters in 2022, read Evergreen’s memo here.

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