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A group of congressional Democrats on Tuesday called for preserving the climate portions of President Joe Biden’s stalled domestic spending bill as Democrats in the U.S. Senate rewrite the measure.
U.S. Sens. U.S. Senators. League of Conservation Voters, an environmental advocacy group, organized the call.
The Democrats suggested that the Democrats should take the portions of Bill is known as Build Back BetterClimate issues should be given priority as the Senate revises the House-passed measure in the midst of internal disagreements.
“We are in a code red moment for climate,” said Castor, the chairwoman of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. “This is our moment to deliver. We cannot let it pass us by.”
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Smith was asked if a measure would still have value if it dropped social programs such as an expanded child tax credit but included climate spending. Smith replied that Democrats must pass what they can.
“We have to find a package that’s got votes from 50 senators,” she said. “Everybody on this call strongly supports the child tax credit, but we got to figure out what (can get) support amongst 50 people.”
Senator Joe Manchin III, a West Virginia Democrat, seemed to be the only opposition to the $1.85 trillion spending bill. This was partly due to his opposition to the expansion of the child credit. The expansion, which was part of a stimulus package that was passed in 2021, expired at the close of the year.
Manchin stated this in a Fox News appearance he was “a no” on the bill. Democrats need all their members united around the legislation since there are no Republicans who voted for it.
Climate is in crisis.
– Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida
The House passed the bill with $550 billion in climate-related spending. It includes $320 billion of new and extended clean-energy tax credits, and a consumer tax credit to electric vehicles.
It would also create A new climate conservation corps programTo encourage entry-level jobs in conservation work and climate resilience work, and to make changes to federal oil & gas policy.
The White House is still in negotiations. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a tax-writing senator from the Senate Finance Committee and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said Schatz that senators were unable to yet determine what climate provisions would be included within a reworked law.
“We’re starting to arrive at a package that can include 50-plus-one votes,” Schatz said on the call.
“Whether or not the package as we currently envision it will pass exactly as is, I think remains to be seen.”
Machin said Tuesday to reporters at Capitol that he Has not been involved in negotiationsSince his Fox News appearance.
Schatz declined to outline a timetable for a vote, but said Democrats would hold one when they’d garnered enough support to pass the bill.
Manchin indicated that he could still support the climate provisions in the proposal. On Tuesday, he told reporters that A separate bill with climate provisionsHe could consider a Build Back Better bill, even though he still has not spoken with the White House about the larger bill since his statement.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona Democrat who, like Manchin, is often at odds with her party’s leadership, “has been nothing but supportive of the climate provisions” in the spending bill, Schatz said.
Smith agreed.
In a seeming reference to Manchin and Sinema, Heinrich said there was “more consensus, including with some of our more challenging colleagues,” on the climate provisions than on other parts of the bill.
Extreme weather motivates
Democrats on the Call stated that climate effects are already evident, underscoring the necessity for legislative action.
Hickenlooper said Colorado’s recent Marshall Fire The devastating wildfires of 2021 highlighted the importance of addressing climate change.
“We’re facing having to go through this again and again across the country,” Hickenlooper said. “And it is ridiculous that we still are willing to avoid what is a scientific truth… and turn away and subject cities and towns and communities all across this country to the same agony the Marshall Fire has caused over these holidays.”
Heinrich stated that dying cottonwood trees and a drought stricken Rio Grande in his home state were two other examples.
McEachin stated that hurricanes, sea-level rise, and hurricanes pose a threat to coastal communities, including homes in Virginia and their livelihoods. He stated that severe weather and environmental destruction are particularly damaging to low-income and minority communities.
“These vulnerable populations are disproportionately impacted by climate change and long standing environmental injustices,” he said.
Schatz stated that Democrats were confident in passing climate legislation because they considered it urgent.
“All options are on the table because of our collective determination,” he said. “We are going to get this done, come hell or high water. And right now, we have hell and high water.”
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