Let’s close out 2023 with some appreciation for our members of Congress 👏👏👏
A little appreciation goes a long way.
What a year it has been. Members of Congress and their staff on both sides of the aisle are continuing to work on policies that will lead to clean and safe energy. We appreciate the hard work that they have done, and hope to see more progress in 2024!
This year, we’ve seen bipartisan progress on:
- Permitting reform
- Foreign fees on carbon pollution
- America’s transition to clean energy
Take action now by writing a quick “thank you” email to your members of Congress. Be sure to personalize it!
Relationship building: It’s what we do best
Relationship building means taking the most generous approach to other people as possible. We listen, we work to find common ground and we build the political will for lasting change. Saying “thank you” is a simple yet effective way to let Congress know we appreciate their work.
We also have work to do in 2024. We’ll be getting out the vote, pushing for permitting reform and building support for a carbon fee and dividend. We want to start things off on the right foot with our members of Congress.
The video below shows a few real-life volunteer examples of chapters that have built relationships with their members of Congress over the years, and illustrates why this work is important.
3 Ways to Personalize Your Message 👇
A message is always more impactful when its customized with your personal thoughts and feelings. As citizen lobbyists, our members of Congress are eager to hear from us, their constituents, and they listen to us in a different way than they listen to paid lobbyists. Some state associations, nonprofits and corporate leaders may offer numbers and data, but they can’t pair it with a personal story that centers the human experience of an issue.
1) Add a 2023 appreciation that is specific to your member of Congress.
Thank them for something they did that stood out to you. It might be:
- A good meeting you had with the congressional office in 2023.
- A piece of impactful climate legislation they voted for in 2023.
- A good policy position they hold.
- Their efforts to work across the aisle and support bipartisanship.
2) Show appreciation for an interaction you had with your member of Congress in 2023.
You can bring up:
- A lobby meeting you attended at or with their office this year.
- A town hall or candidate forum you attended.
- A public event where you saw them speak.
(If you didn’t interact with them outside of emails or phone calls in 2023, skip this one and try one of these other two options!)
3) Mention one of the policies in CCL’s policy agenda that your chapter plans to lobby for in 2024.
Lay the groundwork for the new year! You could mention:
- Carbon cashbacks and/or a carbon border adjustment mechanism.
- BIG WIRES and clean energy permitting reform.
- Healthy forests.
- Building electrification and efficiency.
- Something else, such as a policy you discussed in your last lobby meeting.
Who is Citizens’ Climate Lobby?
Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan grassroots advocacy climate change organization that exists to create the political will for climate change solutions by enabling individual breakthroughs in the exercise of personal and political power.
Our consistently respectful, nonpartisan approach to climate education is designed to create a broad, sustainable foundation for climate action across all geographic regions and political inclinations.
CCL empowers everyday people to work with their community and their members of Congress. Our supporters cover the political spectrum and work in more than 450 local chapters. Together, we’re building support for a national bipartisan solution to climate change.
