OPINION | Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those held by Sarah Palin.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order to establish the “Office of Environmental Justice.
The executive order recognizes that “racism is a fundamental driver of environmental injustice,” Fox News reported.
The order directs federal government agencies to incorporate “environmental justice” into their mission.
BIDEN: "Under this order, environmental justice will become the responsibility of every single federal agency." pic.twitter.com/b5g7G65vbM
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 21, 2023
Biden also managed to trash Trump supporters and “MAGA Republicans” during his remarks.
Referring to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s proposal to repeal “clean energy” tax credits, Biden said, “The MAGA Republicans in Congress want to repeal climate protections in the Inflation Reduction Act.”
“They’d rather threaten to default the U.S. economy … than get rid of $30 billion in taxpayer subsidies to an oil industry that made $200 billion last year,” he said.
“Imagine taking all those clean energy jobs away from working-class folks all across America. Imagine turning your back on all those moms and dads living in towns poisoned by pollution and saying ‘sorry, you’re on your own.’”
BIDEN: "The desk is hot" pic.twitter.com/wY5Qa06tgl
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 21, 2023
More on this story via The Hill:
The order, which Biden signed in a Rose Garden ceremony Friday, will create the office within the White House Council on Environmental Quality to coordinate environmental justice initiatives across federal agencies.
Biden’s order also instructed federal agencies to take steps to mitigate adverse climate effects on communities and requires them to notify the affected community in case of any release of toxic substances from a federal building.
The president, noting the timing in proximity to Earth Day, added “we have to do a great deal more than just reflect, we have to commit ourselves to action.”
During the signing ceremony, Biden also touted environmental provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the wide-ranging climate and infrastructure bill he signed in 2022.
“We’re investing in air quality sensors in communities near factories, so people who live near them can know what the risk is and how safe the air is,” he said, adding that “we’re planting millions of new trees to cool down our city streets.”