>>If you say one thing today – David Bernhardt, a former oil and gas lobbyist and a literal card-carrying conflict of interest, has used his post to sell off America's public lands, waters and wildlife to the highest bidder and gut some of the nation's landmark conservation victories while continuing to lobby for corporate special interests. The Senate must reject his nomination to fulfill our moral obligation to offer our children and grandchildren the same chance at our nation’s outdoor way of life that we had.

>>If you do one thing today – Participate in the Bernhardt social media day of action focused on elevating members’ remarks on the floor and putting pressure on targets (toolkit to be updated in real time)

• Turn out staff to the swamp creature swarm at noon to the west side of the Capitol, at the Ulysses S Grant Memorial on First St SW/NW to heighten visibility around this vote
• Continue sending grasstop/CEO calls into Sinema’s office

>>If you tweet one thing today – We have a moral obligation to our future generations to offer them the same chance to enjoy and recreate in our outdoor spaces that we have. The Senate must reject Trump's corporate polluter crony, David Bernhardt! #StopBernhardt

Help Needed

• Use this CAC social guidance to continue elevating House Energy & Commerce committee hearing yesterday on EPA’s proposed FY20 budget featuring Wheeler

Trump’s Pipeline EO

• Overview
• Trump is expected to sign two executive orders today around 3pm in Houston
• First EO
• Deal with 401 permits limiting states’ clean water permitting authority
• Due to a couple pipelines that have been held up in courts due to shoddy permitting
• Second EO
• Addresses cross-border permits for pipelines
• Would grant the president inherent authority over foreign affairs
• Groups including Sierra Club and water groups will analyze the language of these orders once they’re fully released today
• Broad Strokes/Messaging
• Context of this announcement in Houston is very important. Site of many disasters and loss of life due to the unprecedented buildout of O&G, petrochemical infrastructure
• This is an attempt to evade critical protections for kids’ health and drinking water.
• This is a blatant giveaway to oil and gas at the expense of our health.
• >>Push Back
• Use this CDP guidance pushing back on this attack on clean water protections
• CAC and methane campaign will issue guidance pushing back on giveaways to oil and gas
• Release a strong statement of opposition and circulate to the listserv
• Clean Water Action talking points and other resources

Bernhardt

• Update:
• McConnell filed cloture yesterday, cloture vote expected tomorrow, floor vote likely on Thursday
• >>Top Lobby Asks:
• Continue sending grasstop/CEO calls into Sinema’s office
• Urge Senate Ds to make floor speeches against his nomination and engage on social media/issues statements (CDP has a special senator toolkit with talking points and social)
• >>Top Comms Asks:
• Participate in the Bernhardt social media day of action TODAY focused on elevating members’ remarks on the floor and put pressure on targets (toolkit to be updated in real time)
• Retweet Blumenthal and Leahy to support Senate champs
• Turn out staff to the swamp creature swarm at noon to the west side of the Capitol, at the Ulysses S Grant Memorial on First St SW/NW to heighten visibility around this vote
• Reach out to CDP if your group is working on post-vote accountability tactics

#DirtyBudget

• Overview
• Two-step process this year:
• Raising budget caps to avoid sequestration
• Passing a spending bill (or series of spending bills)
• Trump’s funding proposal requested cuts even bigger than sequestration
• Senate Republicans’ plan suggested a much smaller budget increase to avoid sequestration
• House Dems’ proposal includes a big increase for non-defense and a smaller increase for defense
• Update:
• The Democratic Caucus hasn’t been able to get the votes needed with both progressive and moderate members. They’ve decided to punt the vote until after recess and reassess their strategy.
• However, McConnell announced that he and Pelosi will be going into negotiations over the topline budget caps numbers
• Before the House left yesterday, they passed a rule with a $1.3 trillion topline that will allow appropriators and their subcommittees and start writing appropriations bills
• Respond
• Plan for #DirtyBudget recess activity in target House districts
• If you have capacity to lean into this tactic please reach out to CDP and we will get you more information on targeting. 

On the Horizon…                                                    

April 10: Bernhardt Social Media Day of Action

April 11: Senate ENR hearing on “Opportunities for Energy Innovation and Other Potential Solutions to Help Address Climate Change.”

April 15-26: Congressional Recess

April 20: Anniversary of the BP Oil Spill

April 22: Earth Day

April 28: Anniversary of the Offshore Executive Order

Sign-On Letters

• Sign onto this letter to the docket opposing the Trump Administration's Dirty Water Rule - the extreme rollback of the Clean Water Act
• Deadline: COB Friday 4/12
• Sign onto this letter urging Congress to pass a bill that would phase out and replace PFAS-containing firefighting foams in the military
• Deadline: COB Friday 4/19
• Sign onto this NDD coalition bill endorsement of the House Dems’ caps legislation

Topic	Agency	Status	Deadline	Comment Guidance	Hearing
PFAS Plan	EPA	Open	4/15	CAC toolkit
WOTUS Proposal (Dirty Water Rule)	EPA	Open	4/15	CW4A toolkit	2/27 and 28 in Kansas City, KS
Mercury Rule Rollback	EPA	Open	4/17	CAC toolkit	3/18
Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) Proposal	NOAA	Open	4/25	Oceana Factsheet