Senate Democrat says Biden team ‘failing’ on climate change 

A Senate Democrat is accusing the Biden administration of “failing” to address climate change and called for more action to be taken to reduce fossil infrastructure.

“We haven’t even gotten the slightest start on ending the acceleration of carbon into our atmosphere, and that is so powerfully destructive to the world that our children will see, our grandchildren will see. It will get worse and worse,” Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said in an interview Tuesday with “Washington Post Live.”

Merkley has been a strong advocate of executive action to address climate change and an outspoken critic of the fossil fuel industry. He said in the interview that having countries set up climate change goals for 2035 and 2050 is “meaningless” and instead called on White House climate envoy John Kerry to secure agreements that will “immediately” enact new changes.

“I mean, think about how bad it is now compared to 25 years ago,” Merkley said. “This is going to accelerate to another place. So the kind of agreements that Kerry needs to get are real on-the-ground commitments of changes that immediately stop new fossil projects and accelerate renewables.”

“But how can the U.S. ask for that when we’re approving a whole lot more fossil projects here at home? That is the fatal flaw and the direction that the president is headed,” he continued. “On this most important issue facing humanity, Team Biden is failing.”

He also said that there needs to be a “fast pivot off of fossils” and called out the U.S. for approving more fossil fuel projects in the country. He also said that he has been lobbying the White House and working to get the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reject a proposal by a fossil fuel group to increase the gas flow of a pipeline between Oregon and Washington.

“And so I’m lobbying the White House,” he said. “Well, those environmental groups that have already endorsed him, they should say, ‘Here’s a great example of making the pivot right now. Do not allow them to double the pressure of that pipeline and double that gas.’ This is a case where the administration wants to pretend that fossil gas is somehow better for the climate than coal, and that is a fallacy.”

When asked about Merkley’s comments, a White House spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill that President Biden is “delivering on the most aggressive climate agenda in history.” The spokesperson also said Biden has “strengthened America’s energy security” and “and put the United States on a path to create clean energy jobs in communities across the country and slash harmful air pollution.”

“With the support of labor leaders, environmental justice and climate advocates, Congressional Democrats, and more, he continues to protect and strengthen his historic climate legacy in the face of unrelenting attacks from Congressional Republicans bent on taking our nation backwards,” the spokesperson added.

–Updated on Aug. 3 at 8:13 a.m.