What the Georgia Election Results Mean for Biden’s Climate Agenda

January 7, 2021

Yesterday, Democrats took narrow control of the Senate after winning both runoff elections in Georgia, granting them control of Congress and the White House. With the Senate now split 50-50 between both parties, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has the tiebreaking vote. This gives President-elect Joe Biden more leeway to pursue aggressive policies to tackle climate change and other environmental issues.

The Washington Post reports:

Even the thinnest Democratic majorities will enable Biden to press for much more generous federal support for renewable energy, environmentally friendly infrastructure, expanded tax breaks for electric vehicles and stricter energy-efficiency standards.

Democratic control of Congress will make it easier for Biden to reverse some of President Trump’s rollbacks of environmental protections and to win confirmation for political appointees across the U.S. government who can shift policy toward a greener future.

Climate activists have already started pressuring the Biden administration and Democratic lawmakers to push climate legislation right away. On Tuesday night, before either of the two Georgia races were called, the Sunrise Movement’s New York chapter threatened to target Sen. Schumer (D-NY) on Twitter if he didn’t act in the quick manner they demand.

These eco-extremists are pressuring the federal government to enact an immediate, radical shift to renewable energy. By immediate, they mean to start on January 20^th, Inauguration Day. This completely ignores states’ rights to make decisions best for their local communities.

A hasty top-down approach doesn’t encompass the views of constituents in energy-rich communities across the country. Instead, it will diminish their jobs and with that their livelihoods, as well as take away the much-needed revenue the prosperous industry brings in to these communities.

Luckily, the need for a reliable and affordable energy source domestically is not overlooked by every member of Congress. Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, said he was “confident we’ll be able to continue to work on both sides of the aisle.” We hope that to be true, and that the elected officials in leadership will listen to the needs of their constituents and look out for the best interests of the American people.