Biden Announces Executive Actions on Climate Change, Stops Short of Declaring Emergency

President Joe Biden pledged to take executive action on climate change during a Wednesday visit to a former coal-fired power plant in Somerset, MA.

Biden did not officially declare a climate emergency, as some had pressured him to do, but he did call climate change an “emergency,” “a clear and present danger” and “an existential threat.” He announced $2.3 billion from FEMA to mitigate climate disasters like heat waves and wildfires, touted several recently approved offshore wind projects, and called on Congress to pass legislation. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that a formal emergency declaration was still “on the table.”

Recent Democratic efforts to pass climate legislation have so far failed to gain the necessary support of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a moderate from a state known for its coal mining history; Senate Republicans remain united in opposition to Democrats’ proposals. Some climate provisions were included in 2021’s bipartisan infrastructure bill and the American Rescue Plan.

Coverage was more common earlier in the day than it was after Biden’s remarks. While coverage was limited in right-rated outlets, some major left-rated outlets featured live coverage of the announcement.