The Washington Post stated Monday evening that President Biden is contemplating establishing a national climate emergency to salvage his environmental program.
The AP reported a few hours later that the administration would “hold off” on the announcement until he prepares the political foundation.
Here we go, from "pandemic emergency" to "climate emergency" 🤡 pic.twitter.com/Cydhat16Qk
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) July 19, 2022
The Constitution has no “summer clause,” which would give the president the authority to disregard the will of Congress and run the country on his or her own when the temperature rises.
The legislative branch’s rejection of the president’s “agenda” doesn’t justify executive action. The Senate rejected Biden’s climate plan.
Hypocrisy at Its Finest
However, one cannot help but be astonished by the absolute lack of shame displayed by Democrats.
Democrats, after constantly sounding the alarm that “democracy” is on the verge of extinction, are now pressuring the president to behave in an autocratic manner.
It’s been a little over a week since the Supreme Court dismissed the Environmental Protection Agency’s argument that officials could govern sans Congress in order to limit carbon emissions, or, in other words, the entire economy.
What makes anyone think the president, who, by the way, just got back from pleading with Saudi theocrats to make more oil, has the right to impose a new set of rules or decide how money should be spent?
Since when is the US democracy run by executive orders?
What is "climate emergency"? pic.twitter.com/eIYAcbIaeV
— CommonSense (@Common111Sense) July 19, 2022
Senators like Jeff Merkley, who said Biden’s emergency order “unchains the administration from relying on Congress to act,” blatantly undermine their oath of office by assaulting the system they represent.
Congress may have abdicated for decades, but its members seldom campaign for executive abuse. They’re changing.
Bloomberg says a presidential emergency declaration would “unleash” government money for clean energy building.
When Donald Trump declared an emergency to redirect military cash to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, the whole establishment disintegrated.
A New York writer said Trump may gain authoritarian powers by declaring a national emergency. As Forbes noted, this was “a win for Trump’s authoritarian agenda.”
The border is federally controlled. Weather manipulation isn’t.
The Real Problem
Also, there’s no crisis.
By every quantitative metric, humans are less influenced by the climate than ever before, despite what politicians say. Despite increased fossil fuel consumption and population growth, fewer people die from climate change.
Adapting to weather and climate change is simpler than shredding the Constitution by the state and modernity. You may oppose it.
That’s a policy discussion Congress should have. If every storm, heat wave, or flood justifies unilateral federal executive rule, we’re doomed. Carbon emission regulation invites regulation of the whole economy.
Just when record high gas prices are receding, Democrats urge Biden to stop crude oil exports, ban oil and gas exploration in federal waterways, and push agencies like FEMA to bolster renewable energy sources.
Even in an emergency, shifting money to uncertain energy sources or subsidizing electric vehicle manufacturing won’t impact the climate. An anarchic party is the actual problem.
This article appeared in NewsHouse and has been published here with permission.
