FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 21, 2013 Contact: Trey Pollard (202) 904-9187 or [log in to unmask] View as webpage Sierra Club Statement on Senate’s Step Forward to End Washington Gridlock WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the U.S. Senate took an important step forward to end gridlock in the Senate by guaranteeing an up-or-down vote for executive branch and judicial nominees. In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement: "Today is a victory for everyone who believes that a fully-functional Senate and a fully-functional democracy should be the standard, not the exception. Over the last few years, Republican obstructionists in the Senate have abused the rules to create unprecedented gridlock, knowing full well they and their big polluting allies would lose a fair fight in which the majority rules. As a result, almost nothing has been achieved in Washington and the American public has rightly become disgusted with Congress. Thanks to the leadership of Senator Harry Reid and his Democratic colleagues, critical nominees who have been blocked from doing their jobs should now get an up-or-down vote -- and those who use gridlock to score political points have now been denied one of their most prized weapons. Now, it is time to proceed to a vote to confirm these nominees right away. There is much work left to do to fix the Senate and get our democracy working again for the American people, but today the momentum has shifted in the right direction.” ### About the Sierra Club The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.1 million members and supporters nationwide. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org. Sierra Club | 85 2nd St San Francisco, CA 94105 | [log in to unmask] To subscribe, email [log in to unmask] | www.sierraclub.org/pressroom Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet. -- --Trey PollardDeputy National Press SecretarySierra Club(202) 495-3058 - Office(202) 904-9187 - Mobile [log in to unmask]@treypollard_sc Represented by John Muir Local 100 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp