July 31, 2021 - The US Senate is considering an amendment to a moving reconciliation bill that will immediately impose a 80% reduction of carbon emissions by 2030.

This is devastating and will effectively lead to an accelerated shut down of West Virginia’s coal mining industry, our existing electric utilities and other markets for West Virginia coal.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is working in concert with the White House to manipulate Senate procedural rules and pressuring all members of the Senate Democratic Caucus to support this amendment and end of fossil energy.

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito play a key role in these deliberations and Senate activity.  Under the proposed scenario, Senator Manchin’s position within the Schumer and Biden led assault is critical and his mantra of the need to control carbon emissions through engineering and technology based “Innovation not Elimination” would be totally negated!

We need to immediately reach out to Senator Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito by email, phone or whatever contact or line of communications you may have with them to urge their support of our industry and to defeat the amendment offered by Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota that will devastate West Virginia’s Economy and industrial job base!

Please, Please, Please, Respond!  This threat is real and it has picked up significant support and has gained momentum in a relatively short time.  See the news article below outlining this issue.

Please reach out today and voice your concerns and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do the same!

Contact Senator Joe Manchin | Contact Senator Capito 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said combined provisions of upcoming bipartisan and reconciliation infrastructure proposals will achieve the Biden administration’s goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, while emphasizing the establishment of a Civilian Climate Corps.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) joined Schumer at a July 28 Capitol Hill press conference for “climate action” that appeared intended to put pressure on Senate negotiators for a bipartisan infrastructure package while also appealing to environmental and social justice activists who have recently expressed worries that the desire for a political deal could wayside bold climate provisions.

Schumer said he will “ensure” that reconciliation infrastructure legislation, to be passed with only Democratic votes, will include provisions for a climate corps, modeled after the Kennedy-era Peace Corps. He said the combined infrastructure package will include “bold and comprehensive” measures for addressing climate change while promoting economic justice and union jobs, and that together the packages will achieve the president’s goal of halving GHG emissions from a baseline year of 2005 in 2030.

House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Chairwoman Kathy Castor (D-FL) said the lawmakers gathered to urge the Senate to “get their act together” and produce an infrastructure package. Also, she said young voters and climate activists are “waiting” to see if the Senate “actually crafts” legislation to establish the Civilian Climate Corps, which is part of the President Joe Biden’s climate and American Jobs Plan.

Negotiations have faltered over the past several days in a weeks-long effort by a group of 10 Senate Republicans and Democrats to produce bipartisan infrastructure framework legislation embraced by the White House last month to fund about $1 trillion of the president’s proposals. The remaining portions of Biden’s agenda, including the bulk of his proposed climate initiatives, totaling about $3.5 trillion in infrastructure investments, is expected to be passed under budget reconciliation procedures that require a simple majority of Senate votes.

Schumer has pledged to bring up both the bipartisan infrastructure and budget resolution for reconciliation legislation for votes this weekend, before the Senate adjourns for August recess.

A test procedural vote to begin floor debate on infrastructure legislation failed last week Democratic leaders have pledged to move forward on Biden’s climate and infrastructure proposals through reconciliation if the bipartisan talks fail, while key moderate Democrats such energy committee Chairman Joe Manchin (D-WV) have insisted that passing “meaningful” legislation will require bipartisan support.

Other climate provisions promoted for infrastructure legislation at the Capitol Hill press conference include $500 billion in tax credits for renewable energy and electric vehicle charging stations, a nationwide Clean Electricity Standard requiring 100 percent of electricity come from zero-carbon sources by 2025, and ensuring 40 percent of federal climate and environmental investments benefit disadvantaged communities. The Capitol Hill event was sponsored by the League of Conservation Voters.