“Right now, we Hill staffers are peacefully protesting Dem leaders INSIDE. To my knowledge, this has never been done. We’ve also never seen climate catastrophe, so we’re meeting the moment. Follow along as we fight with everything we have to jumpstart climate negotiations," one Democratic staffer for Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) announced in a tweet.
The effort arrives soon after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) threw cold water on liberals' wishes of using budget reconciliation to make substantial reforms to climate policy. Under that approach, just a Senate majority of 51 votes, instead of the 60 required usually to overwhelm a filibuster of legislation, would be needed to send a climate proposal to President Joe Biden for his signature. Manchin, a centrist West Virginia Democrat, raised concerns regarding how additional spending would affect inflation.
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The group moved forward with the peaceful protest after sending two letters to Schumer and Biden in recent weeks, calling for swift action and for the administration to “declare a climate emergency and end fossil fuel extraction on federal lands.”
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"We, staffers of the US Congress, are peacefully sitting in on Sen. Schumer’s office to demand Dems pass climate justice policy this year. We are putting our bodies on the line because we have no other choice. We see the impacts of the climate crisis in our home communities and the constituencies we serve and we refuse to be complicit in the enormous suffering and devastation around the world that will result from not passing climate justice policy this year," the staffers announced in a statement.
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"The Black, Indigenous, and communities of the global majority who voted Biden and Schumer into office are also those most affected by the climate crisis. They will suffer the most from this inaction."
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The group continued to take aim at Manchin for his choice to block the language from being included in a sweeping party-line bill, claiming that inaction could lead to substantial long-term consequences for the environment.
“Our country is nearing the end of a two-year window that represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass transformative climate policy, we will not remain silent while we watch environmental catastrophe unfold before our eyes,” they stated.
Multiple demonstrators were arrested as an outcome of the sit-in, Capitol Police confirmed.
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“Six demonstrators were arrested for DC Code §22-3302 Unlawful Entry for failing to leave the office after they were told to leave,” Capitol Police said in an announcement. “The six people who were arrested are all House staffers.”
Schumer’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
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