Now Clinton and Sanders Are Fighting Over the Democratic Platform

Sanders supporters want to call for a fracking ban and a carbon tax.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-328825136/stock-photo-las-vegas-nv-october-cnn-democratic-presidential-debate-features-candidates-sen-bernie.html?src=csl_recent_image-1"> Joseph Sohm</a>/Shutterstock

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This story originally appeared on Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

The Democratic Party’s platform drafting committee has written a stronger climate change section than the platform had in 2012, but it also rejected a series of more ambitious climate and energy amendments on Friday. That’s raised the ire of Bernie Sanders and his appointees to the drafting committee, like climate activist and author Bill McKibben.

The first draft of the platform, voted on by the 15-member drafting committee, is now complete, though it hasn’t been made publicly available. On July 8 and 9, in Orlando, the full 187-member platform committee will meet and debate further changes before approving and sending its draft on to the party convention, to be held in Philadelphia the last week of July.

“We’re fighting not just the Republicans, but also the incrementalists within the Democratic Party.”

Sanders slammed Hillary Clinton’s committee appointees for blocking progressive provisions and pledged to continue fighting for changes to the document. “Despite the growing crisis of climate change, [Clinton’s delegates] voted against a tax on carbon, against a ban on fracking,” said Sanders in a statement on Sunday. “We intend to do everything we can to rally support for our amendments in Orlando and if we fail there to take the fight to the floor of the convention in Philadelphia.”

More Mother Jones reporting on Climate Desk

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