Thread by @BSchorshy

"Climate debate resolution" debate beginning now on the floor of #SFDNC

@TomPerez describing history of why and how DNC began managing debate schedules

Debate vs forum resolution will have a paper ballot & floor discussion by full committee of DNC (not just resolutions cmte)

@TomPerez It has gone from giving context to essentially Chairman Perez ghosting in his personal opinions/arguments on debate v forum.

Lots of vibes of "it's unfair to other important issues if we have a specific debate on one issue, but we have had lots of issue forums"

@TomPerez Climate Activists in guest section (where Im seated) are extremely frustrated, several pepper shouts of "we can't wait"

Unfortunately I think even w/15mins for each side of floor debate (while really generous & huge in a large committee context) will make activists feel ignored

@TomPerez Floor debate begins w/argument in favor of a Climate Debate, points out that the full committee of the DNC never got to participate in scheduling the debates & the rules of the debates, notes how much the executive committee & debate team has already changed qualification rules

@TomPerez speaker against climate specific debate is centering a "vote blue no matter who" argument that everyone will be good on climate

Bemoans how much time Prez candidates have to prepare for debates, says it takes time from them "knocking on doors". Lol like they personally do that

@TomPerez Northern Mariana islands DNC rep, speaking on behalf of all Pacific territories & how islands are being destroyed by climate change already & this party needs to view the territories like states, as equals, bcuz have no Fed reps & have to travel 32hrs on own dime to be at these

@TomPerez Some resolutions committee person argues against full climate debate because the "resolutions committee" worked so hard for 12hrs and it is mean for the full body of an org to overrule a smaller subcommittee's work

To that I say- wtf is the purpose of a full committee then?

@TomPerez The arguments against the climate debate have a common theme of "what about xyz" and attempt to put issues against each other, attempting a narrative of "if a climate debate happens it means party doesnt care about gun violence, black&brown lives etc."

@TomPerez I think this need to silo every issue is the greatest challenge in the party's attempt to build messages.

Dividing the professional class & classical liberals from the younger and more intersectionally driven wing of the party.

Younger DNC rep is addressing climate refugees, the crises across the world, the massive amount of young ppl who recognize this issue's important, & that CNN Forum sounds great to those in this room as politics superfans, but debate draws more people who aren't yet participating

Another younger member then counters that "these climate activists need to lace up their shoes and hit doors to defeat Trump because having a debate doesn't solve the crisis"

Activists shout "you have to earn that trust not expect it!"

Honestly wild that a younger DNC rep thinks that young ppl will just show up & do free work without having their concerns addressed first.

A rep of color born in El Paso talking about how 75% of the people her age are dead from health impacts of local smelting plant.

Calling out the historical problem of white environmentalism, wants more discussions about environmental racism

Couldn't hear most of the last anti-debate argument due to uproar in the room but focused around climate debate leaves.out workers rights and economic debate, & need to talk about good jobs.

I may be misrepresenting this one, very hard to hear what direction it was.

DNC rep talking about how confused their local party officers are by the arcane rules of the DNC and why there is even a debate about having a debate and that it should not even be a question- we absolutely should have a debate.

Younger DNC rep from CT is talking about "we all agree here this is important BUT" then talks about unfairness to the resolutions committee's time and that people "who care about other issues like gun violence" will feel left out

Alaska Rep is talking about how we have known this is a problem for 60 yrs and her state is dying. Says we need this debate now because we barely have any time left to wright the ship.

Some labor guy from like the south says he is confused why we are debating this because "we Democrats are the leaders in the world on this issue" so we should not bother because we are already the best at this.

Rural Missouri DNC rep talking about her rural constituency wants a real debate, the farms of the Midwest are underwater. That Trump voting rural folks and Democrats alike in her district have been coming together to fight climate issues locally

More gun violence vs climate again from a rep from Pittsburgh uses example of both the Tree of Life massacre and also street gun violence.

Colorado DNC rep says we can walk and chew gum at the same time. As a young man of color who has done anti gun violence activism does not appreciate the trend of pitting this debate as communities of color and gun violence vs climate.

Absolutely ancient DNC rep mumbles nonstop at mic about Trump being the biggest problem and we can't get distracted

Another DNC rep talking about the intersectionality of climate and how it affects every aspect of our lives

Question to the chair about equal time for debate, noting that it seems it's not being tracked anymore, then talks about being a labor leader and getting right back into workers rights vs climate.

Chair Perez then says "I agree"

Tom Perez now says everyone gets 30seconds time "so everyone gets a chance", essentially tossing out the equal time for the two sides of debate.

Has resulted in 30sec speeches that get cut off. Primarily pro-climate debate voices being snipped down as they get to mic

Due to the speed of speakers now it's becoming really difficult to follow and report from my phone

But @youngdems vice chair says to DNC, if we want to win youth voter we need to listen to youth voters

@youngdems Some older DNC member making a motion to send this to the Exec Committee, and for the Exec Committee to have 3 more meetings about this to sort it out

Not a valid motion and it's thankfully ignored

@youngdems Speakers are all done it seems

Tom Perez ending debate, ballots are being distributed, secured portion of floor cleared of non-voting DNC members

Chants of "VOTE NO" fill the room from the back as the climate activists try to be heard by DNC reps separated by a flimsy barrier

Perez received lots of boos as he pivots from describing what a Yes or No technically does (aka his job as a chair) directly back into reflecting his own opinions on the motion when he is supposed to be a neutral arbiter while chairing mtgs

Activists shouting this is a test of if this body represents and listens to the grassroots like it claims

They're absolutely right, for the most part this is a top-down party due to the patchwork systems for people to become party leaders. Unequal access to the party got us here

"The Whole World is Watching" chants as the DNC members fill their paper ballots and staff collect them for the tellers to count

Some lady says the activists are funded by the Koch brothers to their faces. Like a living 🌊 account, mindblowing

Dissent and debate is beautiful and essential in democratic (little d democratic) institutions, on every level there are bizarre institutionalists who act like debate in our own deliberative bodies is some sort of heresy.

Honestly, when people say debate in our own ranks is bad it's a good flag for authoritarian tendencies.

They may not realize it themselves, but a betting man would be keen to put money that those types of people are going to be collaborators as we slide further into neo-fascism

right now the room is antsy, ballots are being counted, DNC members who are with the climate activists are coming up to the little barrier and talking with activists, livestreaming back to their parties in their home states. @sfpelosi spending a lot of time talking w/activists

@BLeeForCongress in the guest section also talking with the activists in attendance.

@BLeeForCongress celebrity nerd out moment for me

@daveweigel here interviewing @sfpelosi right before my eyes.

I think it's cool because I am hopelessly addicted to this website

@BLeeForCongress @daveweigel @sfpelosi Saw someone with @NotoriousDGP signature bean-sprout haircut. For a brief moment I thought he had magically teleported here and I had another convention buddy

But alas

(Ballots still being counted, everyone still mingling in the nervous calm of storm)

@BLeeForCongress @daveweigel @sfpelosi @NotoriousDGP Results will be given after @AlexPadilla4CA speaks (time certain guest speaker). Also just as someone who attends lots of meetings like this, it's a good use of time rather than more idling as committee waits for results

@BLeeForCongress @daveweigel @sfpelosi @NotoriousDGP @AlexPadilla4CA I ended up talking with an amazing local events employee for 40+ min and missed when they delivered the results but as you all have heard by now the resolution was crushed.

However I got to real talk about the feelings of hopelessness that those of us w/o power have

These fancy meetings are exhausting, because too many people in these positions of power are so detached from the realities most people are living.

I'm really happy I talked with her instead of watching the end of that.