If The Democrats’ Climate Change Agenda Is Too Radical Even For Moderate Republicans, It’s Too Radical For America

Last Thursday, Senator Manchin announced that he was unwilling to move forward on the Democrats’ climate legislation until he saw the next round of inflation numbers. Even though his statement explicitly left open the possibility of Manchin agreeing to some climate-related funding in the fall, Democrats and environmental activists descended into fury and sadness.   

Senator Ed Markey tweeted, “Rage keeps me from tears.” 

Senator Martin Heinrich tweeted, “Senator Manchin’s refusal to act is infuriating. It makes me question why he’s Chair of ENR.”  

Democratic operative John Podesta said, “It seems odd that Manchin would choose as his legacy to be the one man who single-handedly doomed humanity.”

 The New York Times reported that “Senate Democratic staff members seethed and sobbed on Thursday night…”  

Environmental campaigner Leah Stokes told the Times that “I honestly don’t know how he is going to look his own grandchildren in the eyes.” 

Lastly, less than four hours after tweeting a picture from a fossil fuel guzzling jet, Senator Whitehouse posted that “legislative climate options now closed, it’s now time for executive Beast Mode.”  

I’m left asking: why are legislative climate options closed?   

I am loath to give the Democrats advice on their climate-related plans because I believe these plans will be extremely damaging to American families, but if the Democrats and their activists are this frustrated, and if the stakes are so high, then you would think they would be able to find some support from moderate Republicans.   

Just last year, 19 Republican Senators voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. That massive bill had $550 billion for new, mostly wasteful, federal spending on transportation, climate, water, and power infrastructure.   

My point is this—if the Democrats can’t get a single Republican to vote for their bill, such as Senator Murkowski, Collins, or Romney, the Democrats’ plans are way too radical for America.  

I have argued for years that Congress should vote on these proposals. The American people deserve to know where their Representatives and Senators stand on these important issues. If we are talking about “dooming humanity” isn’t the very least we can ask for is for them to do their job and vote?