Chances are, if you are a constituent of Rep. Doyle, Rep. Matheson, Rep. Green, Rep. or Rep. Boucher, you did. Countless young people from districts represented by congressmen who sit on the House Energy and Commerce Committee participated in a national call-in day for a strong climate bill.
Blue-Dog Democrats, lead by Rep. Rick Boucher (D, VA-9), have taken steps in the past week to weaken the emissions targets in the American Clean Energy and Security Act , to give handouts to polluters, and to weaken the Renewable Portfolio Standard in the bill. Young people are making sure our demands for bold action on climate change that will create jobs, boost the economy and protect future generations from the impacts of global warming are being heard. As a physical representation of the national call-in day, 10 students and organizers set up a phone bank in the hallway outside Rep. Boucher’s office. In just a few hours of phone banking we generated calls from across swing districts to key leaders, and we were noticed.
Rep. Boucher walked past us on his way into the office. When we approached him to explain that we were there on behalf of constituents who were calling the office about these important issues, who have tried and tried to get a meeting with him to discuss strengthening the bill- he ignored us and walked into the office. Soon thereafter his Chief of Staff, came out to speak with us. We delivered a meeting request from students at Virginia Tech students, photos from Powershift, and a list of demands for a strong climate bill, and spoke with her about the possibility of meeting with Congressman Boucher next week. Our voices across the country were heard loud and clear today, from the district office of Rep. Matheson in Utah, to the phone lines of students at Virginia Tech, and at the doors of Rep. Boucher’s office in Washington DC.
Young people believe that now is the time to strengthen the climate bill, not weaken it. In a time when the consequences of global warming are clear and present and families are struggling financially, we need our leaders to pass strong climate legislation that will repower America and rebuild our economy. And we will work toward this end, on the phone, on line, in letters, and in person until our clean energy future is secured.
This is so AWESOME!!! I wonder if Boucher just walks by when the coal industry is there lobbying him??