Congressmen should join Climate Caucus
On the first Earth Day in 1970, Americans celebrated a turning point in the environmental movement. Together, Republicans and Democrats, urban and rural residents, and business and labor leaders were aligned around a common goal: cleaner air and water.
We need such alignment today to address a global environmental issue: climate change. One place such alignment can be found is in the Climate Solutions Caucus, a 72-member group in the House, half Republicans and half Democrats, dedicated to finding solutions to climate change.
Locally, our organization, the McHenry County Chapter of the Citizens' Climate Lobby, has been working on bipartisan support for climate action. In November, we gained 17 signatures from the 24-member McHenry County Board on a letter asking our representatives in Congress, Republicans Randy Hultgren, 14th District, and Peter Roskam, 6th District, to join the Climate Solutions Caucus.
The county board members' individual requests are backed by hundreds of supporting comments we have submitted to the representatives from constituents - residents, business people, labor representatives and faith leaders - in McHenry County. Other county chapters have made similar efforts.
We're still waiting on the two representatives to begin to engage earnestly in the discussion that, according to recent polls, concerns a solid majority of their constituents.
What better time for Hultgren and Roskam to step up and join the caucus than on Earth Day, April 22, 2018?
Jack Shipley
McHenry County Chapter of the Citizens' Climate Lobby