Politics

President Biden says he’ll use executive power to pass climate regulations if Senate fails to pass legislation

by on

More in Politics:

President Joe Biden on Friday released a statement calling on the Senate “to tackle the climate crisis and strengthen our domestic clean energy industry.” Should they fail to do so, Biden said that he “will take strong executive action to meet this moment.”

Biden said in the statement: “My actions will create jobs, improve our energy security, bolster domestic manufacturing and supply chains, protect us from oil and gas price hikes in the future, and address climate change. I will not back down: the opportunity to create jobs and build a clean energy future is too important to relent.”

He also called on Democrats to pass legislation to “lower drug prices and to prevent an increase in health insurance premiums.”

“After decades of fierce opposition from powerful special interests, Democrats have come together, beaten back the pharmaceutical industry and are prepared to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices and to prevent an increase in health insurance premiums for millions of families with coverage under the Affordable Care Act,” the statement reads. “Families all over the nation will sleep easier if Congress takes this action. The Senate should move forward, pass it before the August recess, and get it to my desk so I can sign it.”

The White House statement comes after Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) said on Thursday that he wouldn’t support legislation which would add stricter regulations to reduce carbon emissions. Manchin also rejected tax hikes that would pay for its costs.

Manchin suggested that lawmakers hold off on passing such legislation until after inflation eases. “Can’t we wait to make sure that we do nothing to add to that?” Manchin said during a radio interview on West Virginia’s MetroNews, per Politico.

He added, “I can’t make that decision basically on taxes of any type and also on the energy and climate because it takes the taxes to pay for the investment in the clean technology that I’m in favor of. But I’m not going to do something and overreach that causes more problems.”

Democrats need Manchin’s support in order to advance the legislation in the Senate, which is currently split evenly between the two parties.

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE

PHOTO CREDITS: SF CHRONICLE

Leave a Reply