1) LCV Launches $300,000 Ad Campaign Ahead of White House Climate Day

With the new Biden-Harris administration comes new opportunities for transformational climate action in the United States. In celebration of these opportunities, LCV launched a $300,000 digital ad campaign to underscore the Biden-Harris administration’s ability to build back a better, different, America in which climate action, racial justice, and economic equity are at the heart of our nation’s policies.

The ad aired in the days before and after the White House’s climate day, held on Wednesday, January 27, during which President Biden brought climate action to the forefront of the administration’s domestic and international priorities. The paid media campaign included video, audio, and graphic ads that ran across various digital news outlets, including The New York Times podcast ‘The Daily.’ See the ad and read more about the digital campaign here.

2) LCV Releases List of Policy Priorities for the Biden-Harris Admin & 117th Congress

The day before President Biden and Vice President Harris were sworn in, LCV released our initial policy priorities for the new administration and Congress, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and newly designated Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

These priorities include reentering the Paris Agreement (check!), launching an all-of-government science-based climate action plan that centers environmental justice and workers (in progress), and passing a $2 trillion economic recovery package that will rebuild a more just, equitable, and healthy society and create millions of family-sustaining union jobs (TBD).

To hold the Biden-Harris administration and members of Congress to their campaign promises and pass this ambitious legislative agenda, we’re going to need your help. Start by checking out our full list of priorities here.

3) LCV Congratulates Raphael Warnock on Historic Senate Victory

In early January, LCV congratulated now-Senator Raphael Warnock on his historic victory in Georgia. He will represent Georgians as the first Black senator from the state.

“Congratulations to Reverend Raphael Warnock on his historic and hard-fought Senate victory in Georgia,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski. “It is so critical we have leaders like Rev. Raphael Warnock in the Senate who will fight for just solutions. We are thrilled to work together to ensure a healthier and safer future for all communities.”

“Reverend Raphael Warnock is a longtime champion for environmental justice, and I’m so proud to have him represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate,” said Georgia Conservation Voters Executive Director Brionté McCorkle.

Read the full statement of congratulations — and how LCV and our affiliated entities helped secure Warnock’s win — here.

4) LCV Congratulates Jon Ossoff on Senate Election, Officially Flipping the Chamber to a Pro-Environment Majority

On January 8, two days after the violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol, LCV congratulated Senator-elect Jon Ossoff on his historic victory in Georgia, flipping the chamber to a new pro-environment Democratic majority. Ossoff will represent Georgians as the first Jewish senator from the state. The white supremacist, anti-Semitic violence at the Capitol further underscored the importance of the historic wins of Sens. Ossoff and Warnock.

“Jon Ossoff will fight to take bold climate action that will protect all Georgians, particularly communities of color who have been disproportionately impacted by pollution, strengthen our democracy, and restore the vital environmental protections for our communities that have been gutted by the Trump administration,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski.

“Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock will put people over polluters and prioritize climate justice, clean energy, and clean water, and we’re so excited for them to get to work.” said Georgia Conservation Voters Executive Director Brionté McCorkle.

Read the full statement of congratulations — and how LCV and our affiliated entities helped Ossoff win — here.

5) LCV Statements on White Supremacist Takeover of U.S. Capitol and the Need to Pass the “For the People” Act to Strengthen Our Democracy

On January 6, a violent mob of insurrectionists — many of whom proudly wore and carried symbols of white supremacy — stormed the U.S. Capitol. They were incited by former President Trump and enabled by the reckless and opportunistic behavior of some members of Congress who spread lies about and objected to the result of a free, fair, and legitimate presidential election.

LCV released a statement that said, in part: “Yesterday was a day like no other, it began with elation at the historic achievement of Georgia voters and ended with horror and outrage. Those who perpetrated violence and insurrection, and those elected officials who fanned the flames, must be held accountable.” Read the full statement here.

The elected officials who continue to perpetuate lies about election “fraud” and “illegal votes” seek to divert attention away from legitimate election-related issues, including voter suppression, partisan gerrymandering, and campaign funding. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced he would designate the For the People Act as the Senate’s honorary first bill of the 117th Congress, which aims to strengthen democracy by making it easier to register to vote, expanding access to the ballot, and introducing campaign finance and ethics reforms.

It’s clear that a healthy democracy and a healthy environment are inextricably linked, and the communities frequently targeted by voter suppression — people of color, young people, those who have disabilities, and Indigenous people — face the burden of environmental harms that threaten our air, water, and climate. The For the People Act will enact sweeping ethics reforms that will enable Congress to address the needs of the American people, including meaningful action on climate change, and strengthen our democracy. Read the full statement here.

Want even more news? Check out LCV’s latest news here.