President Joe Biden is considering declaring a national climate emergency to activate powers that would let him regulate fossil fuels without congressional authorization, according to reports.
“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,” a White House official told the Post. “We are considering all options and no decision has been made.”
Democrats are struggling to pass Biden’s climate alarmist agenda due to a lack of votes in the Senate. Last week, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin turned down an expansive spending bill that would have spent billions of dollars on subsidizing green energy initiatives and cutting carbon emissions, citing inflationary concerns.
Lawmakers have urged the president to take matters into his own hands before the midterm elections in November when Republicans are expected to win back control of one or both houses of Congress.
“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,” Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley told reporters on Monday.
However, cracking down on oil and gas production risks inflating gas prices, as prices have already exceeded five dollars nationwide. The Biden administration has since then opened the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and used diplomacy to encourage U.S. allies to produce more oil.
Another challenge Democrats are facing is that any executive actions taken by Biden are sure to be challenged in court. Lawsuits seeking to block the administration’s policies could delay the government’s response.
“While I strongly support additional executive action by President Biden, we know a flood of Republican lawsuits will follow,” Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said on Monday. “Legislation continues to be the best option here.”
He called for senators to continue to look for compromise on climate legislation, which Manchin has supported despite his reservations about inflation, saying: “Conversations on clean energy must continue to preserve our options to move forward.”
Meanwhile, the White House is keeping its options open, with a top White House economic adviser claiming that the president will “aggressively fight to attack climate change.”
