| Dear Katy, In June, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) voted unanimously to stop taking fossil fuel contributions. In a secretive move less than two months later, DNC Chairman Tom Perez led a successful resolution to start taking them again.1 Perez and the DNC are siding with the oil and coal companies driving us toward climate catastrophe. As wildfires rage and heat waves break records across the globe,2 Democrats can and must do better. Tell the DNC: Stop taking fossil fuel money. Click here to sign the petition. A DNC spokesperson claimed that the June fossil fuel money ban hurt rank-and-file workers in the fossil fuel industry. But fossil fuel workers and unions would have been free to donate to Democrats even under the original ban. The real problem is donations from corporate PACs – which are funded by company executives.3 Under the Perez resolution, the DNC can go back to taking these PAC donations. The idea that we must choose between workers and the environment is outdated, dangerous and simply incorrect. Instead of claiming to support fossil fuel workers by caving to corporate contributors, Democrats should be laying out a vision for a clean energy economy that retrains workers and creates good jobs that will outlast these polluting industries. Perez's resolution even refers to "America's all-of-the-above energy economy."4 The DNC struck this language from its platform back in 2016 after progressive activists forced Democrats to recognize that fighting the climate crisis doesn't allow us to support an energy strategy that legitimizes the continued burning of fossil fuels.5 Bringing this idea back now is a dangerous backtrack on the progress we have made in the transition away from dirty energy. Perez and the Democratic Party leadership who voted for his proposal are out of step with their base and candidates across the country. Over 900 local, state and national candidates and office-holders have signed the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge, a promise to not accept contributions of over $200 from fossil fuel interests. Signers include Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Barbara Lee and House of Representatives candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.6 The Democratic Party claims to have a commitment to fighting climate change. But until we get fossil fuel money out of politics, we won't get the climate solutions we need. Tom Perez and the rest of the DNC need to stop playing games with our future and start listening to those of us fighting to save it. Tell the DNC: Stop taking fossil fuel money. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/DNC-fossilfuels?t=7&akid=29734%2E12967895%2EQTglkT Thanks for fighting back, Brandy Doyle, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: - Lisa Hagen and Timothy Cama, "DNC reverses ban on fossil fuel donations," The Hill, Aug. 10, 2018.
- Eric Levenson and Brandon Miller, "2018 is on pace to be the 4th-hottest year on record," CNN, July 28, 2018.
- Kate Aronoff, "DNC pretends respect for workers requires it to take corporate money from Big Oil," The Intercept, Aug. 13, 2018.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- "Tell Our Leaders: Take the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge," accessed Aug. 20, 2018.
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