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Grassroots Pressure Forces DNC to Allow Multi-Candidate "Discussions" on Climate Crisis
WASHINGTON
In response to the DNC resolutions committee allowing for multiple candidates on stage simultaneously to engage in a discussion on the climate crisis, but blocking the resolution expressly authorizing a climate debate, the coalition of progressive and environmental groups representing millions of voters that has been pushing the DNC to sanction a climate debate released the following joint statement:
"Nearly half a million grassroots activists pushed their DNC members to support a full-fledged climate debate between the candidates. It's proof of their grassroots power that the resolutions committee advanced something we believe will encourage more direct debate on the climate crisis by allowing multi-candidate forums with simultaneous 'discussion' between candidates.
"We will keep the pressure up on the DNC to pass these resolutions on Saturday. The climate crisis is too important to both our future and our ability to mobilize the voters we need to beat Donald Trump -- the DNC must use this opportunity to showcase the clear contrast between the Democratic candidates and Donald Trump on the climate crisis, whose only answer to this emergency is to deny that it is even happening.
Signers of this statement include:CREDO Action, Sunrise Movement, Bold Alliance, NextGen America, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Greenpeace USA, Climate Hawks Vote, 350.org, Friends of the Earth Action, and Washington State Democrats.
The grassroots climate debate coalition collected over 489,000 petition signatures calling for an official climate debate, which were delivered to the DNC's headquarters in June. Since then, our grassroots members have made thousands of phone calls to DNC members, urging them to support this resolution. In addition, over 40 Democratic parties at the state and county level, in states ranging from Arizona to California to Tennessee to Utah, have passed resolutions urging DNC members in their states to back the call for a climate debate.
For further interviews with individual members of the coalition, contact:
- CREDO Action, Marissa Barrow, MBarrow@CREDOAction.com
- Sunrise Movement, Sofie Karasek, press@sunrisemovement.org
- Bold Alliance, Mark Hefflinger, mark@boldalliance.org
- Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Denise Robbins, denise@chesapeakeclimate.org
- NextGen America, Olivia Bercow, olivia.bercow@nextgenamerica.org
- Greenpeace USA, Ryan Schleeter, ryan.schleeter@greenpeace.org
- Climate Hawks Vote, RL Miller, rlm@climatehawksvote.com
- 350.org, Monica Mohapatra, monica.mohapatra@350.org
- Erin Jensen, Friends of the Earth Action, ejensen@foe.org
- Washington State Democrats, Will Casey, will@wa-democrats.org
CREDO Action, part of CREDO Mobile, is a social change network of over five million activists, sending tens of millions of petition signatures and hundreds of thousands of phone calls to decision-makers each year. CREDO Action members also participate in meetings, protests and other direct action for progressive change.
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