Elected president Joe Biden
Joe BidenUS Shuts Down Two Russian Consulates On The Money: Congress Approves Bill To Prevent Closure As Coronavirus Talks Enter Weekend | Federal Reserve fights emergency talks Leading legal experts are pushing for MORE aggressive immigration action On Saturday, his nominees rolled out for major climate and energy posts, praising his diverse team as the right group to lead the government’s fight against climate change.
Biden praised the experience and diversity of his team, noting that several ‘break through barriers’, saying that his nominations signified the seriousness with which his administration would address ‘the existential threat of our time: climate change’.
‘Folks, we are in a crisis. Just as we need to be a unified nation in response to COVID-19, we need a unified national response to climate change, ” he said in comments from Wilmington, Del. “We must meet the moment with the urgency it requires, as we would during a national emergency.” “
The president-elect outlined his goals, which include creating 1 million clean energy jobs in the automotive industry and implementing a zero-carbon electric sector by 2035.
For the American people, the goals I have set out are indeed daring, the challenges ahead are daunting. But I want you to know we can do this. We have to do this and we will do this, ”he said.
Climate change has emerged as one of the thorniest issues within the Democratic Party, with Biden, a centrist, advocating a net zero-emission economy by 2050 and opposing a ban on fracking while progressives pressure him to take more serious measures, including passing the Green New Deal, which aims to eliminate fossil fuels by 2030.
Still, the president-elect has said his energy team will take an aggressive stance on the global threat. Biden specifically praised the nominees’ deep experience in climate science and climate issues.
But more than their experience, Biden was quick to praise their diversity, including Rep. Deb Haaland
Debra Haaland OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Government scientists predicted the construction of a boundary wall could be harmful to nature reserve | Haaland nomination sparks excitement in Native American communities | Trump officials falsely awarded Alaska grant in attempt to open Tongass The Hill’s Morning Report – presented by Mastercard – COVID-19 relief, omnibus talks go to thread Haaland nomination generates excitement in Native American communities MORE (DN.M.), the first Native American to hold a secretary post and his choice to head the Home Affairs Department.
“This moment is dramatic when we consider that a former Secretary of the Interior once proclaimed that his goal was to ‘civilize or exterminate’ us. I am living proof of the failure of that gruesome ideology, ”she said, referring to former Home Secretary Donald Grinde, who served in the 1850s.
“We know that climate change can only be resolved with the participation of every department and community,” she added. “By coming together in a common goal, this country can and will rise to this challenge.”
The nominees also pledged to put social justice at the center of their efforts, noting that communities of color often bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change.
“We will be driven by our belief that every person in our great country is entitled to clean air, clean water and a healthier life, no matter how much money they have in their pocket, the color of their skin or the community they have. empathize, “said Michael Regan, Biden’s choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We will deal with climate change with a sense of urgency, protect our drinking water and establish an environmental justice framework that empowers people in all communities. “
If confirmed, Regan will be the first Black EPA chief.
The energy and climate nominees were just the last group of officials to roll out, as Biden is putting together a government that “looks like America.”