Biden faces criticism from all sides on climate change.
Not one but two major political parties are dissatisfied with President Joe Biden’s climate change policies.
Republicans have long opposed government efforts to address climate concerns, especially when they come at the expense of the economy, but new polling shows even Democrats aren’t all that pleased with Biden’s efforts.
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A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll released on Monday shows 57% of adults disapprove of the president’s handling of climate change compared to 40% who approve of Biden’s handling of the matter.
The White House will hope that another statistic from the poll points toward opportunity.
Biden has been pushing the Inflation Reduction Act since its passage last year. Despite the name, the bill also includes a host of new efforts to combat climate change.
The poll found that 71% of those surveyed had not heard of or heard little about the climate legislation included in the Inflation Reduction Act. The results come nearly a year after it was signed into law and various events touting the initiatives in the law.
The president is taking another swipe at that this week, making climate-focused speeches in the Western states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, which have been hit by record heat waves this summer. He’s also doing a climate-focused interview with the Weather Channel.
“President Biden understands how critical this moment is,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in a preview of Biden’s remarks. “That is why he has already taken more actions than any prior president to address the climate crisis we face as a country and as a world.”
With Congress on vacation, the Biden administration will hope to raise awareness of the bill through the appearances.
Biden’s national climate adviser, Ali Zaidi, stressed the importance of the bill as well.
“The president has been focused on mounting an all-of-government response to the climate crisis. We see the impacts in our communities every single day,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. “And the west, in particular, has been feeling the brunt of this, with heat waves blanketing communities, the skies turning orange.”
Asked why voters are still unsatisfied, he said it’s because “the American people, and frankly, people all around the world, want everybody to go as fast as they can, faster and faster, picking up the pace of climate action.”
The issue of climate change sparks intense reactions on both sides, and a wide range of activities can generate accusations of environmental damage. A reporter asked in January if using Air Force One, which has a fuel capacity of 53,611 gallons, to fly across the country was a useful use of carbon.
More recently, the administration has sought to regulate a series of household appliances, most notably gas stoves, with climate change being one of the stated goals. The White House is also heavily pushing electric vehicles and promoting green energy projects while fighting against drilling and mining.
Republicans say these measures will raise energy costs and make the United States more reliant on energy from foreign sources, reflecting a broad discrepancy in how the two parties approach the issue.
Another recent poll from NPR found that 72% of Republicans want the economy to be given priority over climate change, while 80% of Democrats say the opposite. Biden will hope to reach those Democrats with his speeches this week.
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GOPers continue their criticism in the meantime.
“Joe Biden is at the Grand Canyon today as he makes a desperate attempt to sell the so-called Inflation Reduction Act — also known as the Bidenflation scam — to Americans, almost a year after its passage,” Republican National Committee spokesman Jake Schneider said. “But Americans know Democrats botched their handling of the economy, and only one thing will fix it: sending them packing in 2024.”
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