President Joe Biden may call for a national climate emergency this week in the wake of his Build Back Better plan imploding.
At the close of last week, moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) refused to go forward with his party’s economic package, citing its climate and energy programs as well as its raising of taxes on wealthy Americans. As the New York Times reported, Manchin effectively shattered Biden’s “ambitious climate agenda,” which aimed to be “the largest single federal investment in American history toward addressing the toll of climate change.”
“Without action by Congress, it will be impossible to meet Mr. Biden’s goal of cutting U.S. emissions roughly in half by the end of this decade,” noted the Times. “That target was aimed at keeping the planet to stabilize the climate at about 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming compared to preindustrial levels.”
Defeated and with few options left, sources close to the White House confirmed to the Washington Post about the president’s desire to declare a climate emergency this week and announce “a slew of additional actions aimed at curbing planet-warming emissions.”
“The president made clear that if the Senate doesn’t act to tackle the climate crisis and strengthen our domestic clean energy industry, he will,” an anonymous White House official told the outlet on Monday. “We are considering all options and no decision has been made.”
Likewise, top White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein told reporters on Monday the president would work “aggressively fight to attack climate change.”
“I think realistically there is a lot he can do and there is a lot he will do,” Bernstein said.
Other Democratic senators have called on the president to take more forceful action to address their pet issue of climate change, even though the latest polls show most Americans are primarily concerned with inflation and economic woes.
“This is an important moment. There is probably nothing more important for our nation and our world than for the United States to drive a bold, energetic transition in its energy economy from fossil fuels to renewable energy,” Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) told reporters on Monday.
“This also unchains the president from waiting for Congress to act,” he added.
“While I strongly support additional executive action by President Biden, we know a flood of Republican lawsuits will follow,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). “Legislation continues to be the best option here. The climate crisis is the issue of our time and we should keep our options open.”