Activists from the youth-led Sunrise Movement descended on Sen. J.D. Vance’s Washington office on Monday, occupying the hallway and chanting “Vance is a liar, our planet is on fire,” while holding signs that read “Billionaires Own Vance.”
The group wants to bring public attention to the Republican vice presidential candidate’s wealthy donors and close financial ties to the oil and gas industry, and argues that Vance’s inconsistent policy positions are evidence that he answers to money, not voters.
Explore the latest news about what’s at stake for the climate during this election season.
“Trump is just another billionaire that he’s listening to,” said Denae Avila-Dickson, who helped organize Monday’s actions. “Our futures are not for sale.”
According to the group, the protest drew more than 100 Sunrise activists and lasted less than five minutes: Almost immediately, they were told to leave, and eight activists were arrested. The group then marched to the Democratic National Committee’s office, where they held a second rally urging Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, to prioritize a platform of climate and economic justice.
More than 100 Sunrise Movement activists gathered for the two rallies in Washington on Monday. Credit: Rachael Warriner
The group’s climate demands for Harris include investment in clean energy infrastructure for public schools and affordable housing; ending fossil fuel subsidies and investigating oil and gas companies; expanding wind, solar and retrofit programs; and expanding green jobs through the American Climate Corps.
Vance and Harris’ offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Monday’s two actions highlight Sunrise’s current strategy for the presidential election.
“We need to make it really clear that Trump is dangerous, and if he’s elected president, he’s going to do catastrophic and irreversible damage on our planet,” Avila-Dickson said. “But we also need Democrats to make it clear that they’re willing to invest in our futures and will take the action that we need to confront the climate crisis.”
‘A Record to Stand On’
For months, the Sunrise Movement—which helped mobilize a near-record turnout of youth voters to get President Joe Biden elected in 2020—has criticized the administration. The group pressed Biden to declare a climate emergency and negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza, and joined calls for him to drop out of the race.
After Biden dropped out, Sunrise wrote a letter to Harris, co-signed by Gen Z for Change, March for Our Lives and United We Dream Action, arguing that she has an opportunity to win the youth vote by differentiating herself from Biden policies the left has criticized, including approval of new oil and gas projects, limitations on asylum and continued funding for Israel.
“This is your chance to energize young people and our communities to vote, mount one of the greatest political comebacks in decades, and deliver a resounding defeat to the far-right agenda of Trump and Vance,” the letter read.
According to an Axios poll from last week, Harris has a 20-point lead over Trump with young voters ages 18 to 34, compared with Biden’s previous six-point lead.
Sunrise’s executive director, Aru Shiney-Ajay, said she’s seen an uptick of enthusiasm among young people who see Harris as more capable of defeating Trump, which Shiney-Ajay called a “prerequisite” for meaningful climate action. She added that she believes Harris might be more moveable than Biden.
“Harris’ willingness to take on the corruption of the fossil fuel industry is exciting for me,” Shiney-Ajay said, referencing Harris’ prosecution of some polluters in California. “I also think that there’s been some willingness to distinguish herself from the administration’s position on Gaza.”
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Sunrise has not officially endorsed Harris—Shiney-Ajay said it’s not off the table but would require a comprehensive voting process that includes the organization’s more than 100 hubs across the country. Still, the group is committed to turning out young voters against Trump. Notably, Sunrise did not endorse Biden in 2020 and is still credited as a major player in turning out the youth vote, which leaped to 50 percent from 39 percent in 2016.
Sunrise has praised some Biden administration actions, like the Inflation Reduction Act, the creation of the American Climate Corps and the pause on liquified natural gas terminal approvals. It’s criticized other decisions, including approval of the Willow oil-drilling project in Alaska and expanded oil and gas drilling permits elsewhere.
Shiney-Ajay said that Harris “has a record to stand on” when it comes to climate, citing her prosecution of oil companies and moves against fracking in California. Sunrise also praised Harris’ critiques of Trump’s ties to the oil industry last week, calling for her to build on that narrative and expand Biden’s climate legacy.
But it’s not clear yet how much Harris would push the envelope on climate action. Despite her commitment to banning fracking in the 2019 primary, her campaign reportedly said this week that she would not support a fracking ban as president.
‘Bought out by Big Oil’
Vance’s inconsistency on climate change has been widely reported: In 2020, he spoke about the “climate problem” and said that gas would not lead to a clean energy future. But according to OpenSecrets, his 2022 Senate campaign received $283,000 from the oil and gas industry, placing him in the top 20 in Congress for oil and gas contributions. Vance subsequently questioned human involvement in climate change and has advocated for fossil fuel industry-friendly initiatives like tax credits for gas- and diesel-powered vehicles.
“He is someone that has been bought out by Big Oil,” said 18-year-old Sunrise campaign organizer Ariela Lara, who participated in Monday’s actions. “He has really flip-flopped on climate and doesn’t believe really in anything that he is saying, and just wants power, and we want to make that visible to the public.”
An ABC News poll from Sunday found that Vance has an unfavorability rating of 39 percent, up 8 points since last week.
Avila-Dickson also pointed out that Vance, prior to joining his ticket, reportedly likened Trump to Hitler and publicly said he would never support him.
Vance, a former venture capitalist, is known for having many wealthy supporters. His 2020 Senate run was backed by billionaires, including PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, who reportedly contributed to Vance’s change of tune about Trump.
Eighteen-year-old Sunrise activist Simon Aron, who was arrested Monday morning at Vance’s office, said he was motivated by fear and anger after years of watching his community in California threatened by wildfires.
“I have dealt with wildfires my entire life,” Aron said. “As my people are suffering, J.D. Vance is ignoring us and taking so much money from Big Oil billionaires, and it makes me angry.”
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Keerti Gopal
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Keerti Gopal is a New York City-based reporter covering activism and grassroots mobilization in the climate movement. She is a National Geographic Explorer and has completed fellowships with Fulbright, the Solutions Journalism Network, and The Lever.
