Durbin: Climate ‘Emergency’ Is ‘More Important Than’ Current Economy, Inflation

On Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The Beat,” Senate Majority Whip Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) responded to Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) inflation concerns on climate legislation by stating that climate is “an emergency” that “We have to do everything that we can” about, and this is “more important than any current economic statistics” like inflation.

Host Ari Melber asked, “Is the global macro inflation a reason not to do something on climate right now? How do you work with your colleague there when sometimes his reasons don’t really match what’s happening?”

Durbin responded, “I respect Joe. I disagree with him. I think the global situation is an emergency, and if we’re not serious about it in this generation, our kids will pay a heavy, heavy price. We have to do everything that we can do, more important than any current economic statistics is the fact that if we don’t move soon, we’re going to do lasting damage to this planet we live on and our children will have fewer opportunities because of it. So, I would say to Joe, we may disagree, my friend, but when you think about your kids and grandkids, you’ve got to take an extra step forward.”

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