Capitol Hill Source: Pixabay
As October 1 approaches, President Biden again has urged action to save Planet Earth from the devastating universal threat of unchecked global warming.
As the Associated Press put it:
“Biden spoke at the White House September 24 as Democrats in the Senate and House are laboring to finish drafts and overcome remaining differences between the party’s centrist and progressive factions.”
“Despite efforts by the president and congressional leaders to show progress,” AP reports, “Biden cast the road ahead as long and potentially cumbersome, even with upcoming deadlines.”
As the president put it: “Progress is going to be up and down, “but hopefully at the end of the day, I’ll be able to deliver on what I said I would do, that persuades majority leaders in Congress to stand fast and approve legislation that would support essentially-needed proposed climate change decisions globally.”
President Biden’s goal stems from his earlier announced “Build Back Better Agenda”. It increased health, education, and other U.S. federal programs. According to NBC, this would be paid for largely through larger taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals, those earning more than $400,000, or $450,000 a year for married couples.
Looking Ahead
It’s difficult to predict how the debate will evolve, but everything appears to ride on swift bipartisan acceptance of the Biden plan or Congressional amendments to it.
Most observers expect this to be a prolonged process, possibly lasting to the end of 2021.
As Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted earlier this week: “No single country can solve the climate crisis alone. Everyone must do their part.”
John Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate change added: “The world needs to cut emissions by at least 45 % by 2030 to be on a credible path to net-zero by 2050 A.D.”
In June, according to a State Department news release, America and its Group of Seven allies committed to:
—End their governments’ support for “unabated international thermal coal power generation by the end of 2021,
—Provide up to $2 billion to support developing countries in their transition from coal,
— Conserve at least 30 % of global land and marine areas from pollution industries by 2030.
After promising on Tuesday to double U.S. financial aid to developing countries, the President pivoted to Capitol Hill, where views differ on where climate change fits in United States budget priorities.
Bottom line: “There’s not a day, or even an hour, to lose, in announcing next steps toward fulfilling these internationally-affirmed goals.
As a 36-year veteran of the Voice of America (VOA), Alan Heil traveled to more than 40 countries a foreign correspondent in the Middle East, and later as director of News and Current Affairs, deputy director of programs, and deputy director of the nation’s largest publicly-funded overseas multimedia network. Today, VOA reaches more than 275 million people around the world each week via radio, television and online media. Read More
