Republicans Head off Biden Invoking Powers to Declare ‘Climate Emergency’

We have seen many times that when Democrats cannot achieve their agenda at the ballot box, they use the courts, or Democrat presidents use executive orders. The same holds true with the “Green New Deal.” If Democrats have their way, we will all be driving electric cars and cooking on electric stoves, whether we want to or not. But Republican lawmakers may have a way to prevent President Joe Biden from doing what Democrats have been calling for him to do for a while — namely, declaring a “national climate emergency,” thus enabling him to invoke emergency powers allowed by the National Emergencies Act, the Disaster Relief and Emergencies Act, and the Public Health Service.

“The Real Emergencies Act” would keep Biden from implementing emergency powers over the Democrats’ perceived climate catastrophe, giving it national emergency status while ignoring issues affecting Americans that could become actual emergencies like persisting inflation and energy costs that are on the rise. Legislation curbing Biden’s ability to use emergency powers was introduced on Monday by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). Pfluger stated of the bill:

I am proud to join Senator Capito in introducing the Real Emergencies Act, which will prevent the White House from distracting from real emergencies – like skyrocketing inflation and record-high energy costs – by declaring climate change a national emergency. Our legislation ensures that President Biden does not abuse the power of his office to pursue his anti-American energy agenda against the will of the American people.

In 2019, then-candidate Joe Biden bought all-in on the climate change pearl-clutching. He pledged if elected to “end fossil fuels.” After Biden’s election, in 2021, Democrats apparently did not feel the need to hide their desire to do an end run around Congress any longer. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stated if Biden would declare a climate emergency, he could “do many, many things under the emergency powers of the President that wouldn’t have to go through – that he could do without legislation.” In 2022, the powerful Congressional Progressive Caucus pressed Biden to not only declare a climate emergency but issue bans on oil and gas leasing on federal lands.

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