Biden ‘mulls climate emergency declaration’ - but timing remains unclear

As president, Mr Biden has the power to invoke an emergency, and create an alternative path to cut planet-heating emissions and produce more clean energy without input from Congress

President Joe Biden is reportedly mulling whether to declare a national climate emergency, and tap into federal resources to tackle the crisis.

The news comes after the president’s bid to create ambitous climate legislation stalled once again when West Viriginia Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin, pulled out of negotiations last week.

While a climate emergency declaration is a possibility, a potential timeline remains unclear.

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that such a declaration isn’t going to happen on Wednesday, as the President visits Massachusetts to speak on the cliamte crisis, but that it is being considered.

“Everything is on the table,” Ms Jean-Pierre added.

The Washington Post reported late on Monday that Mr Biden could declare a national climate emergency as soon as this week. But the Associated Press reported on Tuesday that he would not do so during the visit to Somerset, Massachusetts this week.

The President does plan to announce some form of climate action on Wednesday, the Press Secretary noted.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.

New York Congresswoman Alexandrio Ocasio-Cortez told The Independent on Tuesday that declaring a climate emergency would be an “essential step” and slammed Senator Manchin’s actions.

“Manchin has paused all action for the United States to act on climate for the last four years,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said. “So I don’t think he has any authority to speak on climate for the rest of our term here.””

Mr Manchin told senior Democrats last week that he would not support their attempt to push through an economic package this month, which included billions of dollars to fight the climate crisis.

The bill only has Democratic support, making the West Virginian’s vote critical in passing the 50-50 split Senate. Manchin, who has taken more campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry than any other senator according to The New York Times, doomed President Joe Biden’s expansive Build Back Better bill last year.

The Independent has contacted the senator’s office for comment.

As president, Mr Biden has the power to invoke an emergency, creating an alternative path to cut planet-heating carbon emissions and produce more clean energy without input from Congress.

“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 Washington Post. “We are considering all options and no decision has been made.”

Following Mr Manchin’s latest move, President Biden said that he would deploy executive action to tackle the climate change which is driving deadly heatwaves, massive wildfires and destructive storms across the country.

Some environmental groups heralded the possibility of a climate emergency declaration.

“A historic climate emergency declaration is exactly what we need from Biden to match the scale and urgency of this crisis,” Jean Su, from non-profit Center for Biological Diversity, told The Independent via a statement.

“By unlocking crucial climate powers, Biden can put Manchin’s gaslighting behind us and get busy getting us off fossil fuels and building the renewable-energy powerhouse we desperately need.”

Climate activists, along with progressive members of his own party, have been amping up the pressure on Mr Biden to take bold action after Mr Manchin walked away.

“Climate chaos is destroying communities. In my home state, entire towns have been burned to the ground by catastrophic wildfires fueled by climate chaos. I’ve talked to families who lost everything and who are struggling to rebuild. This is an emergency,’ Senator Jeff Merkeley, of Oregon, tweeted on Tuesday.

“POTUS needs to go big on climate—starting by declaring a climate emergency so we can take bold action NOW on the disastrous impacts climate chaos has on our health, environment, and economy.”

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island tweeted on Thursday: “With legislative climate options now closed, it’s now time for executive Beast Mode.”