April 21, 2021 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Charles Schumer The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader Minority Leader U.S. Senate U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McCarthy, and Minority Leader McConnell: We, the undersigned state and local officials, are asking Congress to seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help our communities recover by creating and sustaining millions of good paying jobs, putting us on the path to 100% clean energy and building a more equitable and just society. We applaud President Biden and Congress for passing COVID relief, including desperately needed state and local government funding and expanded vaccinations. The American Rescue Plan was a vital first step but as state and local leaders we know the everyday reality facing our communities. There is still much more to be done to deliver the recovery our communities need and deserve, while tackling the interconnected crises of climate change, economic inequality, and racial injustice. The country needs a large-scale jobs and recovery package to put millions back to work. We can make transformative investments in sustainable infrastructure and buildings, clean energy, and clean manufacturing to reduce pollution, address environmental injustice, and prepare for the threats of climate change. Clean energy is the fastest-growing industry in America. It can revitalize domestic manufacturing and expand high-quality union jobs to help rebuild the middle class. Now is the time for bold leadership and urgent action. That is why we are calling on you to swiftly pass an economic recovery package with investments at the scale and scope necessary to address the compounding challenges we face. This package should: 1. Put the U.S. on the path to 100% clean energy powering everything from our electricity grid, transportation, and buildings with reliable, affordable clean energy. 2. Promote equity by ensuring at least 40% of benefits go to the communities who need it most, prioritizing just and equitable solutions being led by low income and communities of color most harmed by toxic pollution and climate change. 3. Incentivize high-quality, good paying union jobs, especially in the domestic clean energy and manufacturing sectors, while supporting communities historically reliant on oil, gas, and coal jobs. Our communities have already seen the high price of pollution and climate change. From higher rates of asthma and upper respiratory disease to flooding and deadly wildfires, we know first-hand the cost of inaction. By investing in a clean energy future we can build an economy that puts every community back to work. COVID-19 showed us what can happen when science and health experts are ignored. We know we cannot make the same mistake on climate change. We have a moral responsibility to ourselves, our children, and future generations not to let this moment pass. State and local communities have led the way on clean energy, setting a standard for the nation. We look forward to a new era of state-federal partnership that supports an equitable recovery package, puts the country on the path to 100% clean energy, and creates millions of high quality, good paying union jobs. Together we can meet this historic moment and ensure this recovery delivers on the promise to build back better. Sincerely, Alabama Lawrence F Haygood Jr. Mayor, Tuskegee Alaska Felix Rivera Anchorage Assembly Chair Jordan Chilson City Councilman, Soldotna Willy Dunne Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly Member Andy Josephson State Representative Zack Fields State Representative Calvin Schrage State Representative Ivy Spohnholz State Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins State Representative Liz Snyder State Representative Jesse Kiehl State Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson State Senator Arizona Anna Tovar Arizona Corporation Commissioner Becky Daggett City Councilmember, Flagstaff Francisco Heredia Councilmember, Mesa Lauren Kuby Councilmember, Tempe Debra Stark Councilwoman, Phoenix Yassamin Ansari Councilwoman, Phoenix Reginald Bolding Jr House Minority Leader Dr. Matt Heinz Pima County Supervisor Andrea Dalessandro State Representative Andrés Cano State Representative Rebecca Rios State Senator Victoria Steele State Senator Arkansas Frank Scott Mayor, Little Rock California Gavin Newsom Governor Jeffrey Prang Assessor, Los Angeles County Caitlin Quinn Board Member, Petaluma School District Angelo Farooq Board Member, Riverside Unified School District Thomas Wong Board President, San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District Nick Melvoin Board Vice President, Los Angeles Unified School District Stevevonna Evans City Council Member, Adelanto Manuel Chavez City Councilman, Costa Mesa Dionne Faulk City Councilmember, Inglewood Devin T. Murphy City Councilor, Pinole Alma D. Puente City Councilwoman, El Monte Natalie D Moser City Councilwoman, Huntington Beach Andy Kelley Commissioner, Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Soli Alpert Commissioner, Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Igor Tregub Commissioner, Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board (Ret.) Eddie De La Riva Councilman, Maywood Illece Buckley Weber Councilmember, Agoura Hills José F Moreno Councilmember, Anaheim Brett Watson Councilmember, Arcata Monica Arroyo Councilmember, Bell Andrea Cardenas Councilmember, Chula Vista Salvador Solorio-Ruiz Councilmember, Delano Ardashes Kassakhian Councilmember, Glendale Bhavin Jindal Councilmember, Loma Linda Mike Bonin Councilmember, Los Angeles Paul Koretz Councilmember, Los Angeles Larry Spicer Councilmember, Monrovia Leslie Irving Councilmember, Victorville Leslie Castellano Councilperson, Eureka Adele Andrade Stadler Councilwoman, Alhambra Arlis Reynolds Councilwoman, Costa Mesa Angie Reyes English Councilwoman, Hawthorne Kimberly Calvin Councilwoman, San Bernardino Tyler Mackey Director, Pinedale County Water District Scott Houston Director, West Basin Municipal Water District Fauzia Rizvi Director, Western Municipal Water District Cliff Numark Governing Board Member, El Camino College Mike Wilson Humboldt County Supervisor Eleni Kounalakis Lieutenant Governor Ron Galperin Los Angeles City Controller Melissa Ramoso Mayor Pro Tem, Artesia Andrea Marr Mayor Pro Tem, Costa Mesa Kim Nguyen Mayor Pro Tem, Garden Groves Michael A. Cacciotti Mayor Pro Tem, South Pasadena Ali Saleh Mayor, City of Bell Jocelyn Yow Mayor, City of Eastvale Bryan Osorio Mayor, Delano Bryan Urias Mayor, Duarte Justin Massey Mayor, Hermosa Beach Eric Garcetti Mayor, Los Angeles Todd Gloria Mayor, San Diego Heidi Harmon Mayor, San Luis Obispo Sue Himmelrich Mayor, Santa Monica Patrick Furey Mayor, Torrance Tina Fredericks Pasadena Unified School Board Member Anthony Rendon Speaker of the Assembly Ash Kalra State Assemblymember David Chiu State Assemblymember Steve Bennett State Assemblymember Richard Bloom State Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel State Assemblymember Laura Friedman State Assemblymember Betty Yee State Controller Scott Wiener State Senator Henry Stern State Senator Josh Becker State Senator Dave Cortese State Senator Connie M. Leyva State Senator Vanessa Poster Trustee, Beach Cities Health District Mary Ann Lutz Trustee, Citrus Community College Natalie Higley Trustee, Kelseyville Unified School Herlinda Chico Trustee, Long Beach Community College Mike Fong Trustee, Los Angeles Community College District David Vela Trustee, Los Angeles Community College District Jonathan Abboud Trustee, Santa Barbara City College Elizabeth Alcantar Vice Mayor, Cudahy Rex Richardson Vice Mayor, Long Beach Rebecca Saltzman Vice President, BART Board Gracie Torres Vice President, Western Municipal Water District Don Saylir Yolo County Supervisor Colorado Jared Polis Governor Matt Jones Boulder County Commissioner John Kefalas Larimer County Commissioner Adam Paul Mayor, Lake Wood Kristopher Larsen Mayor, Nederland Shannon Bird State Representative Barbara McLachlan State Representative Cathy Kipp State Representative Brianna Titone State Representative Tom Sullivan State Representative Susan Lontine State Representative Jennifer Bacon State Representative Chris Kolker State Senator Jessie Danielson State Senator Connecticut Mike Urgo First Selectman, North Stonington Suzette DeBeatham-Brown Mayor, Bloomfield Nancy R Rossi Mayor, City of West Haven Luke Bronin Mayor, Hartford Ben Florsheim Mayor, Middletown Michael E Passero Mayor, New London Shari Cantor Mayor, Town of West Hartford Jonathan Steinberg State Representative Christine Palm State Representative Joshua Elliott State Representative David Michel State Representative Michael Winkler State Representative Eleni Kavros DeGraw State Representative Bobby Gibson State Representative Quentin “Q” Phipps State Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan State Representative Dorinda Borer State Representative Kerry Wood State Representative Geraldo Reyes Jr State Representative Matt Blumenthal State Representative Mary Mushinsky State Representative, Deputy Speaker Bob Duff State Senate Majority Leader Mary Daugherty Abrams State Senator Will Haskell State Senator Stephen Thomas Cassano State Senator Matthew Lesser State Senator Derek Slap State Senator Julie Kushner State Senator Christine Cohen State Senator Delaware Stephanie T. Bolden State Representative Madinah Wilson-Anton State Representative Debra Heffernan State Representative