Biden Signs Executive Order Forming Office of Environmental Justice

On Friday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order aimed at “revitalizing our nation’s commitment to environmental justice for all.” 

Details: The order announces the formation of the White House Office of Environmental Justice, which will work to “advance environmental justice initiatives.” As well as forming the office, the order calls on all government agencies to “make achieving environmental justice part of its mission.”

Key Quotes: A statement from the White House said that this executive order aims to build on existing Biden Administration efforts to further embed “environmental justice into the work of federal agencies to achieve real, measurable progress that communities can count on.” The statement continues, “For far too long, communities across our country have faced persistent environmental injustice through toxic pollution, underinvestment in infrastructure and critical services, and other disproportionate environmental harms often due to a legacy of racial discrimination.” Announcing the executive order, Biden also criticized House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) federal budget proposal, which included repealing certain portions of the Inflation Reduction Act, stating, “Imagine taking all those clean energy jobs away from working-class folks all across America. Imagine turning your back on all those moms and dads living in towns poisoned by pollution and saying ‘sorry, you’re on your own.’”

How The Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum covered the executive order mildly. Special attention across the spectrum was given to Biden’s words regarding McCarthy’s budget plan as the debt ceiling debate continues in Washington.