All – Two quick things. We have moved up the deadline to midnight tonight. Also, I’ve made a few small tweaks to the language. Please use this version. For those who have signed – first, thank you! Second, the changes are very minor, so I’ll assume if I don’t hear from you that you are fine with the language.

Thanks again,

Karen

Dear Representative,

We are writing to oppose Amendment #49 (Version 1) introduced by Representative Keating to Division D – State and Foreign Operations of H.R. 2740 - Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Legislative Branch, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2020.

This amendment appears to be part of a misguided effort to increase Europe’s and Eurasia’s dependence on natural gas by exploiting the newly established U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) as a political prop in an imprudent initiative. The amendment would represent an ill-advised manipulation of the purpose of the DFC, a development finance institution focused on working in low-income and lower-middle income countries. This attempt to establish congressional intent is aimed at hijacking the DFC to subsidize a destructive build-out of natural gas infrastructure.

The DFC will become operational on October 1, absorbing the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). According to its 2018 annual report, OPIC did not fund any fossil fuel power generation projects last year. Rather, it provided at least $829 million for renewable energy projects. In an age of climate crisis, the DFC must maintain this trajectory and steer clear of any fossil fuel financing, including natural gas.

In its startling Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5ºC, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that severe impacts of climate change are happening much sooner than previously expected, and that countries must take far more aggressive actions to avoid the most catastrophic impacts—especially impacts on communities who can least afford to protect themselves. People in developing countries are being hit first and worst by the climate crisis. With climate change harming developing countries the most, the DFC’s financing of fossil fuel projects would hurt the very communities its seek to support.

New exploitation of fossil fuels, including natural gas, would blow through the world’s remaining carbon budget, and new gas infrastructure would lock in high greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come. Meanwhile, the dramatic and ongoing cost declines for wind and solar are disrupting the business model for gas in the power sector.

The only way to promote real energy security is to work together with Europe and Eurasia to rapidly end our shared reliance on fossil fuels, and to help other countries to do the same. Our nation should be investing in renewable energy technology and energy efficiency, not pushing fracked-gas projects that will keep the world dependent on fossils. We must speed the transition to truly clean energy. Again, we urge you not to support Representative Keating’s Amendment 49 (Version 1) to Division D – State and Foreign Operations of H.R. 2740.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

From: Orenstein, Karen
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2019 1:46 PM
To: clean@lists.usclimatenetwork.org; Combined Defense Project <cdp@groups.b-team.org>; clean@usclimatenetwork.org
Subject: Urgent sign on requested! oppose appropriations amendment that props up fossil fuels under guise of development finance

Please consider signing on to a letter opposing Amendment #49 introduced by Representative Keating to the State and Foreign Operations Approps bill (H.R. 2740). This amendment is part of a misguided effort to increase Europe’s dependence on natural gas by exploiting the newly established U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) as a political prop and would represent an ill-advised manipulation of the purpose of the DFC, a development finance institution focused on working in low-income and lower-middle income countries.

Please sign on by noon tomorrow, June 12. (I’ll let folks know if we have more time, depending on the House floor schedule.)

If you need more background on the amendment and/or the DFC, I’d be happy to fill folks in more….But this amendment is basically part of the whole play to prop up natural gas exports to Europe (along the lines of The European Energy Security and Diversification Act of 2019 S 704/HR 1616/HR 1453).

Here’s the letter:

Dear Representative,

We are writing to oppose Amendment #49 introduced by Representative Keating to Division D – State and Foreign Operations of H.R. 2740 - Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Legislative Branch, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2020.

This amendment appears to be part of a misguided effort to increase Europe’s dependence on natural gas by exploiting the newly established U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) as a political prop in an imprudent initiative. The amendment would represent an ill-advised manipulation of the purpose of the DFC, a development finance institution focused on working in low-income and lower-middle income countries. This is a reckless attempt to establish congressional intent to hijack the DFC to subsidize a destructive build-out of natural gas infrastructure.

The only way to promote real energy security is to work together with Europe to rapidly end our shared reliance on fossil fuels, and to help developing countries do the same. Our nation should be investing in renewable energy technology and energy efficiency, not pushing fracked-gas projects that will keep the world dependent on fossils. We must speed the transition to truly clean energy. Again, we urge you not to support Amendment 49 to Division D – State and Foreign Operations of H.R. 2740.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Many thanks,

Karen