>>If you say one thing today -- CAC Talking Points: Trump’s nomination of a coal industry lobbyist to serve as the EPA’s Deputy Administrator fits the pattern he has shown from day one of turning over the keys of our oversight agencies to the industries they oversee. Andrew Wheeler comes straight from the D.C. swamp – he’s a Washington lobbyist who represented one of the biggest polluters in the country, Murray Energy.  With Scott Pruitt embroiled in scandals, including luxury travel, misuse of taxpayer funds, and investigations into unethical actions, we need to drain the swamp of bad actors like Pruitt, not enable his culture of corporate cronyism.


>> If you do one thing today: Support Senate floor speeches on Wheeler/Pruitt and issue a statement!  


On the Horizon…

April 12: Wheeler vote

April12: Pompeo hearing in Senate Foreign Relations

April12: Balanced Budget Amendment Vote

April12: Perry to testify before energy subcommittee of Energy & Commerce hearing on the FY19 budget

April14: March for Science

April 24: EPA Coal Ash hearing in Arlington VA

April 26: Pruitt before House Energy and Commerce


Intel

  • Wheeler vote today 
  • House Republican Farm Bill release today at 12:30PM (CDP to circulate guidance) 
  • >> Balanced Budget Amendment vote TODAY -- guidance can be found here
  • Interior Department's internal watchdog could not determine why senior executives were shuffled within the department last year because political appointees did not properly document their actions
    • >> Continue to pushback on Zinke using guidance here. 
  • DOE is taking comments on use of emergency authority to prop up coal and nuclear plants. Website here or submit to this email address; AskOE@hq.doe.gov

Letters:
  • Sign onto Clean Water for All coalition letter on farm bill priorities letter as it relates to clean water.  You can view and sign the letter here. Deadline TOMORROW Friday April 13. 
  • Farm Bill: Sign onto community letter urging offices to sign Senator Cardin’s no environmental riders letter.  You can view and sign onto the letter here.  Contact Brian Siu with questions! BSIU@NRDC.ORG
  • Please fill out this form to sign your organization onto the letter on national monuments and the Antiquities Act by Wednesday, April 18. If you have any questions, please email arubio@lcv.org.

Help Needed:

>> Help recruit Senators to sign onto the Cardin led no enviro riders in the Farm Bill letter. We are at 20 and letter closes tomorrow! 
Nominees

  • Pompeo
    • Hearing today before Senate Foreign relations 
    • Top concerns: Current CIA Director with no diplomatic experience and hawkish/extremist views on climate, LGBTQ, reproductive rights and islam
    • Dynamics: 15 Senate Dems voted for him for CIA but dynamics have changed. First focus is how two committee Dems who voted for him (Shaheen and Kaine) approach this process.
    • Red state Dems will be floor focus
    • Broad progressive/security focused push to oppose him
    • Mods will need a reason to vote against him -- looking to see how hearing goes today
    • Paris: Dems should talk about climate change and the Paris Agreement as a top international issue that America is losing its leadership on but then pivot to national security threats. We don't want to stir the pot and tempt him to leave the UNFCC
    • Response:
      • UCS messaging, call in number, sample call script and member engagement toolkit here
      • Elevate any fireworks from hearing
      • UCS may do phones post-hearing - reach out if you are interested!
      • Additional social: 

  • Wheeler
    • Vote today -- opportunity to elevate Pruitt concerns and demonstrate that Wheeler is a coal lobbyist who is unfit to lead the EPA.
    • >> Help Senator Carper push members to speak on Wheeler and Pruitt on the floor!!
    • >> Amplify Senator remarks (CAC to circulate social)
    • >> Put out a statement
    • CAC Messaging points here: 
      • Trump’s nomination of a coal industry lobbyist to serve as the EPA’s Deputy Administrator fits the pattern he has shown from day one of turning over the keys of our oversight agencies to the industries they oversee.
      • As if it’s not enough that Scott Pruitt used his connections to an energy lobbyist to get a sweetheart condo deal, now Pruitt will have an energy lobbyist as his top lieutenant at the EPA.
      • Andrew Wheeler comes straight from the D.C. swamp – he’s a Washington lobbyist who represented one of the biggest polluters in the country, Murray Energy.  With Scott Pruitt embroiled in scandals, including luxury travel, misuse of taxpayer funds, and investigations into unethical actions, we need to drain the swamp of bad actors like Pruitt, not enable his culture of corporate cronyism.
      • The Wheeler nomination sends a clear signal that the polluters are in charge and that the days of clean air, water and land are numbered and that our children, seniors and families will not be a consideration for this EPA. 
      • Wheeler would join an EPA jam-packed with industry lobbyists and corporate executives. He would become deputy for a man that sued the EPA 14 times before coming to the agency and has spent his time undermining science and booting scientists from key positions at EPA and on advisory panels – only to be replaced by climate change deniers and industry insiders.
      • Wheeler’s record and close association gives no indication that he would be any different from Pruitt – and would continue the big polluter agenda that puts our health at risk.   Wheeler will likely continue the Administrator’s actions to slash enforcement of clean air and clean water laws already on the books, and he would likely uphold the climate change deniers agenda driven by Pruitt.
      • With Donald Trump, Scott Pruitt, and Andrew Wheeler in charge, big polluters win while everyone else loses. Increasing pollution and endangering our families does nothing to make America great.
Pruitt
  • Push for today: 
    • NYT coin story 
    • Wheeler vote 
    • Continued security debate
    • Gowdy letter
  • Push to get more House and Senate Rs to speak out
  • Visibility on the Hill all week -- email CAC to plug in
  • >>Now is the time to get involved with Boot Pruitt! Email mlee@cacampaign.com to plug in to make as much noise as possible. AFGE and 350 just joined!
Government Funding

Open Comment Periods

Topic Agency Status Deadline
DOE Emergency Authority  DOE Open
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

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