Charleston, SC-– LCV (League of Conservation Voters) and House Majority Forward today launched a television ad praising Representative Joe Cunningham (SC-01) for championing pro-environment policies in the U.S. House of Representatives. The South Carolina ad is part of a $1 million ad campaign thanking eight Members of Congress for their legislative actions and leadership on locally significant environmental issues across the country. 

“Gets It” (Rep. Joe Cunningham; SC-01)

In the last year, Representative Cunningham sponsored H.R. 1941, the Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act to ban new offshore drilling. The bill, which passed the House in September 2019, would prohibit new leasing for offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf or Pacific Outer Continental Shelf. Representative Cunningham also co-sponsored H.R. 5221, the 100% Clean Economy Act, which will set a national goal of net-zero greenhouse gas pollution by no later than 2050.

“Poll after poll shows people are demanding action on climate change, clean water and clean air more than ever before,” said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters. “Fortunately environmental champions in Congress like Joe Cunningham are responding in big ways by passing legislation and holding polluters accountable. We want their constituents to know about several recent actions where their representatives put the health and safety of people and the planet first so they can thank them and encourage them to keep making progress on these issues.”

“At a time when leadership is in short supply, Rep. Joe Cunningham is doing the hard work to fight for clean air and water for our families,” said Abby Curran Horrell, executive director of House Majority Forward. “Rep. Cunningham is taking responsible steps to pass legislation that will strengthen environmental protections and hold big polluters accountable, while also encouraging innovation and the expansion of a clean energy economy.”

During the past year, the House of Representatives has taken bold action on a critical set of issues, fighting back against the Trump administration’s dangerous environmental rollbacks and failure to act on the climate crisis. They have held over 100 congressional hearings on the climate crisis, passed the first pro-climate action legislation through the House in a decade, passed the largest public lands bill in a decade, and passed legislation to protect the Arctic Refuge, national monuments, and more.

Most recently, the House passed the PFAS Action Act to finally start taking action on these dangerous chemicals, passed legislation to protect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from offshore drilling, and introduced critical and bold legislation like the Climate Action Now Act to put us on the path to combat the climate crisis. In addition, many individual members were outspoken advocates for extending vital tax incentives for clean energy.

Ad script:

“Gets It” (Rep. Joe Cunningham – SC-01)

Offshore drilling.
Congressman Joe Cunningham – a former ocean engineer – knows the destructive effect it can have on South Carolina’s coastline.
It’s bad for the economy and the environment.
The Lowcountry needs a clean energy economy.
That’s why Joe Cunningham passed a bipartisan bill to ban drilling off our coasts …
And is fighting to invest in clean energy jobs like solar.
Call Congressman Joe Cunningham and tell him to keep fighting for South Carolina’s coasts and clean energy future.

LCV (League of Conservation Voters) builds political power to protect people and the planet. We influence policy, hold politicians accountable, and win elections. This is how we fight to build a world with clean air, clean water, public lands, and a safe climate that are protected by a just and equitable democracy.

House Majority Forward is a progressive, non-profit organization committed to promoting economic growth and opportunity, social justice, environmental stewardship, and democracy in the United States of America. We aim to achieve these core goals through aggressive advocacy of policies that move America in the right direction.

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