Rev. Yearwood joined the CDP call this morning on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's death to thank the environmental community for all that you do to share this quote from MLK "Let us stand with great determination and let us move on in these powerful days, days of challenge, to make America what it might be."

Onward!

>> If you say one thing today - CAC MOD: Since his first day as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Scott Pruitt’s dirty dealings and attacks on public health have put communities across our country at risk. Pruitt is cutting deals with the very industries his agency was created to oversee, at the expense of Americans’ health. That's why Americans - including 15 members of Congress - are ready to give Pruitt the boot.

Additional messaging points:

CAC Talking Points – Pruitt’s National Excuse Tour

It’s been a long week for EPA’s most scandal-ridden administrator, Scott Pruitt. His dirty dealings continue to drop. Yet, instead of apologizing or taking responsibility for his “Condo Kickback” and lavish travel, he is on a national excuse tour.
He’s complaining that people haven’t seen the lease he signed with a lobbyist power couple to stay at their Capitol Hill condo.

Solution? Scott Pruitt should release the lease. Let everyone see the details of this cozy deal. Then the American people can finally know if their EPA administrator broke the law.

But Pruitt won’t release the lease. He’s too ethically-challenged.

To excuse himself, Pruitt may try to lean hard on a favorable memo from the EPA ethics office. But we know the truth. That review was done more than a year after he signed that lease. Why wait so long?What was he trying to hide?

Plus, Pruitt’s story doesn’t line up. He continues to contradict his lobbyist-landlords on their relationship and the terms of their lease. The lobbyist power couple said they had no idea Pruitt’s daughter was staying there free of charge, which Pruitt said was okayed.

Pruitt isn’t taking responsibility for his own unethical actions. He’s blaming detractors for his epic spree of bad press. But, despite his protestations, the media and his distractors didn’t sign his sweetheart lease for him, didn’t ignore the White House to award pay raises to his staff, didn’t buy first class air tickets on the taxpayer dime, didn’t build a secret phone booth in his office to the tune of $43K, and didn’t insult Donald Trump by calling him a threat to the Constitution.

Scott Pruitt did all of it. And it’s time he’s held accountable.

On the Horizon…

March 26-April 6: Congressional Recess

April 24: EPA Coal Ash hearing in Arlington VA

April 26: Pruitt before House Energy and Commerce

Intel

AGS and mayors are pushing back against cars rollbacks: https://cleantechnica.com/2018/04/04/11-us-states-to-challenge-epa-rollback-of-2025-fuel-efficiency-standards/
Zinke walking back increasing park fees: https://apnews.com/f053380e9e7d48b09742c7c9f991406f/Interior-backing-away-from-steep-fee-hikes-at-national-parks
Zinke disproportionately reassigned Native American workers: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/zinkes-interior-dept-disproportionately-purged-native-american-workers

Letters:

Sign onto letter opposing Pompeo by COB TODAY (Wednesday) here.
Sign onto community comment letter urging appropriators to protect funding for farm bill conservation programs in the FY 2019 appropriations bill here by COB TODAY!

>> Help Needed:

TWS is placing a 10 ft oil rig on the national mall this Friday highlighting that some places are too wild to drill
- DC Action Lab will have volunteers handing out materials
- Press availability 11-12pm
- Elevate on social! Package to be circulated.
Sign up to speak at the EPA Coal Ash hearing on 4/24 in Arlington
Budget:
- > Attend the CAC/CDP budget happy hour on Tuesday 4/10
from 5-8pm at Hawk 'n' Dove!
> Attend FY19 strategy session at Partnership Project offices from 3-4pm tomorrow. Email CDP for more details!
CDP budget recess guidance can be found here.
Cars messaging:
Sample statement can be found here.
Message guidance can be found here.
Social guidance can be found here.

Pruitt

Angered press by moving cars event to EPA with only a handful of questions
Biggest push for today: driving wedge between Pruitt and Trump and ways Pruitt has undermined the President and gone behind his back
>>Now is the time to get involved with Boot Pruitt! Email mlee@cacampaign.com to plug in to make as much noise as possible
>>If you have field capacity please work to generate local coverage/ltes etc
>>Drive calls into Senate offices asking them to speak out against Pruitt -- CAC to circulate call tool

Approps/Recess

Recess guidance can be found here.
Detailed analysis of funding and riders in FY18 can be found here
Champs thank you social can be found here
Grasstops calls to Dem leadership and champs
FY19 policy resources:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q4eFUo7-HI2Zs1zeg7sBJCGH5AKFZlKk71lwDJ4GTF8/edit

Open Comment Periods

Topic	Agency	Status	Deadline
Bears Ears Reductions	BLM	Open	4/11
Grand Staircase-Escalante Reductions	BLM	Open	4/13
Clean Power Plan Repeal	EPA	Open	4/26
BLM Methane Replacement	BLM	Open	4/23
Coal Ash	EPA	Open	4/30
Proposed changes to Categorical Exclusions	BIA	Open	5/4

Julia Alschuler

Combined Defense Project