Blumenthal Applauds President Biden's Executive Actions to Address Climate Change
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) applauded several executive actions President Joe Biden will take today to address climate change:
“Four years of harmful actions by the Trump Administration have cost us precious time in tackling the climate crisis. I applaud President Biden for recognizing that the United States must rise to meet this challenge for the sake of future generations and lead by example.”
“With the Biden Administration at the helm, America will once again be a global leader in addressing the disaster of climate change. By rejoining the Paris Agreement on Day One, President Biden has signaled our country’s firm commitment to saving our planet by investing in green jobs, reducing greenhouse emissions, and advancing environmental justice. I am relieved that the hard fought protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a fragile and pristine ecosystem, will be restored. Rejecting permits for the Keystone XL pipeline is another victory for our environment, economy, and our future.”
“Congress must now build on these strong first steps with bold legislative action—the Green New Deal—to create good, high-wage jobs, counteract systemic injustices, and address the existential threat of climate change.”
President Biden’s executive actions to reverse some of the Trump Administration’s most harmful environmental actions and to safeguard our environment will include:
Rejoining the Paris Agreement on Climate Change: President Biden will sign the instrument to rejoin the Paris Agreement, which will be deposited with the United Nations today. The United States will officially become a party to the agreement in 30 days, being back in a global leadership position to advance the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Protecting the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument: President Biden will sign an Executive Order to take first steps to address the climate crisis, create union jobs, and advance environmental justice while rolling back the Trump Administration’s harmful policies. This Executive Order will include a directive to the Department of Interior to renew the boundaries and conditions of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. The Executive Order will also help protect the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Bears Ears National Monument, as well as temporarily preventing all oil and natural gas leasing activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Revoking the Keystone XL Pipeline: One of the Executive Orders to be signed by President Biden today will revoke the Presidential permit granted to the Keystone XL pipeline, as well as revoking, revising, or replacing additional executive actions taken by President Trump that do not serve the U.S. national interest.
Reviewing and Revising Harmful Federal Regulations: President Biden will sign an Executive Order directing executive departments and agencies to review and address federal regulations and executive actions over the past four years that were harmful to public health, damaging to the environment, not supported by science, or not beneficial to the national interest.
Improving Emissions Standards: President Biden will direct agencies to consider revising vehicle fuel economy and emissions standards, methane emissions standards, and appliance and building efficiency standards to cut pollution, save consumers money, and create good union jobs.
Understanding the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: President Biden will re-establish the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases and will direct the working group to issue a schedule of the social costs of greenhouse gases to ensure the accounting for the full costs of greenhouse gas emissions like climate risk, environmental justice, and intergenerational equity.
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