Dear Friends, Throughout the past year, we have seen the effects of the climate crisis in our own backyard and around the world. From wildfires raging across Oregon and the west, to hurricanes wreaking havoc in the southeast, and increasing average temperatures everywhere in between, the impact has been devastating. The scientists and experts have been clear: This is a climate emergency, and we need to take action now. Our climate crisis is connected to, and exacerbates, almost every other crisis we are dealing with. It’s important to emphasize the current and lasting effects that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. Climate justice is racial justice. President Biden has done an outstanding job of prioritizing our climate in the first days of his administration, but after years of practiced ignorance from Trump and congressional Republicans, an even larger mobilization is needed. That is why I’m taking the next steps, alongside Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders, to introduce legislation mandating the declaration of a national climate emergency by the president of the United States. Our National Climate Emergency Act will ensure every resource is at the country’s disposal to halt, reverse, mitigate, and prepare for the consequences of this climate crisis.You can read more about the legislation here.