In response to reports that Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has called for scrapping any climate investments in the reconciliation bill being negotiated by the Senate, Evergreen Action Executive Director Jamal Raad released the following statement:
“Senator Joe Manchin has written his legacy: blocking our best shot at a transition to affordable, American clean energy and a liveable planet. Senator Manchin has betrayed the American public and the mandate given to the Democratic Senate to act on climate. When Americans continue to pay high prices for our fossil fuel dependence, they can thank Senator Joseph Manchin III. The failure of this reconciliation bill is not about Congressional power or politics, it’s about the real lives of millions of Americans that will be harmed or lost by the irrevocable damage from the climate crisis.
“Senator Manchin has spent nearly two years subjecting us all to the whims of his chaotic bad-faith agenda. Broad investments in American-made clean energy are key to addressing both inflation and the climate crisis. This epic failure of the Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to deliver this essential legislation should be his last action as Chair. Democrats should act immediately to remove this coal baron’s gavel.
“If it hasn’t been clear yet, it certainly is now: Senator Manchin is out of touch with the reality many Americans face. Across party lines, Americans support major clean energy investments. Congress and President Biden must continue to take action to deliver on this promise—regardless of Senator Manchin’s deception.”
