Republicans Head off Biden Invoking Powers to Declare 'Climate Emergency'

Becky Noble reporting for RedState 

We have seen many times that when Democrats cannot achieve their agenda at the ballot box, they use the courts, or Democrat presidents use executive orders. The same holds true with the “Green New Deal.” If Democrats have their way, we will all be driving electric cars and cooking on electric stoves, whether we want to or not. But Republican lawmakers may have a way to prevent President Joe Biden from doing what Democrats have been calling for him to do for a while — namely, declaring a “national climate emergency,” thus enabling him to invoke emergency powers allowed by the National Emergencies Act, the Disaster Relief and Emergencies Act, and the Public Health Service.

“The Real Emergencies Act” would keep Biden from implementing emergency powers over the Democrats’ perceived climate catastrophe, giving it national emergency status while ignoring issues affecting Americans that could become actual emergencies like persisting inflation and energy costs that are on the rise. Legislation curbing Biden’s ability to use emergency powers was introduced on Monday by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). Pfluger stated of the bill:

I am proud to join Senator Capito in introducing the Real Emergencies Act, which will prevent the White House from distracting from real emergencies – like skyrocketing inflation and record-high energy costs – by declaring climate change a national emergency. Our legislation ensures that President Biden does not abuse the power of his office to pursue his anti-American energy agenda against the will of the American people.

In 2019, then-candidate Joe Biden bought all-in on the climate change pearl-clutching. He pledged if elected to “end fossil fuels.” After Biden’s election, in 2021, Democrats apparently did not feel the need to hide their desire to do an end run around Congress any longer. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stated if Biden would declare a climate emergency, he could “do many, many things under the emergency powers of the President that wouldn’t have to go through – that he could do without legislation.” In 2022, the powerful Congressional Progressive Caucus pressed Biden to not only declare a climate emergency but issue bans on oil and gas leasing on federal lands.

Capito echoed Pfluger and called out Democrats’ desire to inflate the federal government with the help of presidential executive orders, saying:

The Biden administration has repeatedly governed by executive overreach when it comes to energy and environmental regulations, ignoring the law and doing so without congressional approval. “The Real Emergencies Act” would ensure the president cannot go further by declaring a national emergency, which would grant him more executive authority and grow the size of government all in the name of climate change.

When the Biden administration is not attempting workarounds of Congress for its climate agenda, it is spending millions of taxpayer funds. Last week, the administration announced a massive $1 billion green overhaul to federal buildings to instill green technology such as heat pumps and solar panels. Funds will come from the Inflation Reduction Act. In the initial phase, 100 federal facilities will be all-electric, and 28 will have net-zero emissions. The General Services Administration says the hope is that when private sector entities see the government going green, it will attract the private sector to invest.

Legislation to curb Biden’s ability to issue green executive orders may be coming just in time. In April, the administration proposed new regulations that would make 67 percent of new sedans, crossovers, SUVs, and light trucks, 50 percent of vocational vehicles, 35 percent of new short-haul freight tractors, and 25 percent of new long-haul freight tractors — basically every vehicle on American roads — electric by 2032. Never mind the fact that, according to a JD Power survey, less than 25 percent of Americans plan to purchase an electric vehicle for their next new car.

If Joe Biden has to invoke emergency powers and go around Congress, Democrats’ view of what is an emergency and that of the American people are two vastly different things.