House Dems call on Biden to end fossil fuel subsidies
Progressive Democratic lawmakers are reportedly planning to publicly urge Biden to ban oil drilling despite record gas prices and a war in Ukraine that has disrupted oil markets.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus is planning to demand that Biden use his executive power to declare climate change a national emergency and ban drilling on federal lands, according to a report from Politico.
Politico reporter Joshua Siegel revealed the move in a post on Twitter.
“House liberals to urge Biden to declare climate emergency, ban drilling on federal lands as part of a sweeping executive order plan to be released by @USProgressives this week,” Siegel tweeted.
“Progressive Caucus member @JaredHuffman told me calling on Biden to declare a climate emergency is one of the ‘centerpiece’ actions to headline their EO plan.”
“A draft of the plan I saw also calls for Biden to ban oil/gas drilling on public lands and end fossil fuel subsidies,” Siegel added.
Progressive Caucus member @JaredHuffman told me calling on Biden to declare a climate emergency is one of the “centerpiece” actions to headline their EO plan. A draft of the plan I saw also calls for Biden to ban oil/gas drilling on public lands and end fossil fuel subsidies
— Joshua Siegel (@SiegelScribe) March 15, 2022
Siegel added that House Democrats will also call on Biden to manufacture more heat pumps to “ease the strain in oil and gas markets that has been caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
Some of those heat pumps would be donated to Europe, according to the House Progressives’ plan.
The reported move drew immediate criticism on social media with many pointing out that gas prices have surged to record levels prompting Republicans to call for increased drilling to ease pain at the pump, not less.
Dems want $10 gas. https://t.co/Q7vND6Lrc0
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 15, 2022