The League of Conservation Voters has sent an “unprecedented letter” to House members stating (emphasis in original):
In light of the tremendous importance of this legislation, LCV has made the unprecedented decision that we will not endorse any member of the House of Representatives in 2010 election cycle who votes against final passage of this historic bill.
At the same time, 29 nonprofit groups, including the one I work for, have sent a separate letter to House members that opens:
Dear Representative:
On behalf of the millions of members and volunteers that our organizations represent, we write to urge you to support final passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES).
We also urge you to do everything possible to strengthen the bill between now and final passage, and along its journey to the President’s desk.
These are the groups urging passage of ACES:
- Alliance for Climate Protection American Rivers
- Center for American Progress Action Fund
- Ceres
- Clean Water Action
- Climate Solutions
- Defenders of Wildlife
- Environment America
- Environmental Defense Fund
- Environmental Law & Policy Center
- Environmental Working Group
- Fresh Energy
- Interfaith Power and Light
- League of Conservation Voters
- League of Women Voters of the United States
- National Audubon Society
- National Parks Conservation Association
- The National Hispanic Environmental Council
- National Wildlife Federation
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Oceana
- Oxfam America
- Pew Environment Group
- Sierra Club
- Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
- Southern Environmental Law Center
- The Nature Conservancy
- The Wilderness Society
- Union of Concerned Scientists
The letter notes:
We believe this is one of the most important votes of our time. There are rare moments in American history when the urgency to act is clear, the stakes are high, the costs of inaction are untenable, and the need for courageous leadership is paramount. Now is one of those moments. An opportunity like this may not come again for many years.
Hear! Hear!