Biden to warn Congress that he will highlight the wind industry during a trip to Massachusetts if lawmakers don’t act on climate change after Joe Manchin torpedoed his green agenda
- Biden to warn Congress: If you don’t do something about the climate, I will
- Ultimatum comes during Biden’s visit to Massachusetts power plant
- Biden will “make it clear that he will do it because Congress will not act on this emergency,” a White House official said
- The threat comes after Senator Joe Manchin torpedoed Biden’s green agenda in the Senate
- Biden will not go so far as to declare a national emergency, despite pressure from Democrats and environmental groups
President Joe Biden on Wednesday will warn members of Congress that if they don’t take action to combat climate change, he will.
The ultimatum will come during the president’s trip to Massachusetts, where he will visit the Brayton Point power plant – New England’s largest coal-fired power plant, which is being converted into a factory making cables for offshore wind farms.
“The President will make it clear tomorrow that climate change is an existential threat to our nation and the world. And he will also make it clear that since Congress will not act in this emergency, he will,” a White House official said.
“In the coming days, he will continue to announce executive actions we have developed to address this emergency,” the official noted.
Biden’s threat comes after West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin torpedoed the president’s green agenda on Capitol Hill when he said he could not support billions of dollars in new climate spending as part of a larger economic package.
President Joe Biden will warn members of Congress that if they don’t act on climate change, he will
Biden has vowed to use his executive powers since Manchin, who represents a state with a large coal industry, made his intentions clear.
But the president will stop declaring a national emergency on Wednesday, which would free up federal resources to deal with the problem, despite strong pressure from members of his party to do so.
“The climate emergency will not happen tomorrow, but we still have it on the table,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at Tuesday’s daily news briefing. ‘I didn’t circle a date on the calendar.’
But the president will announce federal funds in his remarks to help heat-ravaged communities. And he will announce new initiatives to strengthen the domestic offshore wind industry.
Last week, Biden said he would begin taking executive action on climate issues after talks between Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stalled.
Manchin said he would only agree to an economic package that would increase subsidies for buying health insurance under the Obamacare Act and one that would allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. The reason he gave was concern about record high inflation.
Biden then vowed to act.
“I will use every power I have as President to continue to fulfill my promise to deal with global warming,” Biden told reporters over the weekend in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after Manchin opened Senate negotiations had broken off.
But Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups have urged Biden to be more aggressive, including declaring a national emergency that would allow the president to redirect federal funds to bolster renewable energy programs that would help ease the transition away from fossil fuels .
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to divert billions of dollars to build a wall on the southern border after Congress refused to provide the funds. But Democrats criticized his move and faced multiple lawsuits. Biden recanted Trump’s statement shortly after taking office.
Jean-Pierre declined to give details of the White House’s internal deliberations on the use of a national emergency declaration.
“We’re still thinking about it. I don’t know the pros or cons,” she said.
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia torpedoed the president’s green agenda on Capitol Hill when he said he could not support billions of dollars in new climate spending as part of a larger economic package
Biden will speak at the Brayton Point power plant, which was once the largest coal-fired power plant in New England before it closed in 2017; it now serves as a subsea power cable assembly for offshore wind farms
The White House is treading carefully not to alienate Manchin, whose vote is needed to push health legislation, another of the administration’s priorities.
The Brayton Point power plant, where Biden will be speaking, epitomizes America’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
It was once the largest coal-fired power station in New England before it closed in 2017. It will now serve as a manufacturing center for subsea power cables and other equipment vital to the offshore wind farms planned on the east coast.