Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, is leading a House GOP effort to overturn President Biden’s executive order directing federal agencies to take a “whole-of-government approach to environmental justice.”
Pfluger, who is chairman of the House Energy Action Team, called the order an attempt to entrench environmental justice in bureaucracy and on Friday introduced legislation that would repeal it.
“Instead of focusing on the many crises facing our nation, President Biden has mandated every federal agency to focus on ‘environmental justice.’ This president is completely out of touch with the American people and the issues he faces. faces in his daily life because of the political failures of his administration,” Pfluger told Fox News Digital.
Biden’s executive order, titled “Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All,” directed federal agencies to “close gaps in science and data to better understand and prevent the cumulative impacts of pollution.” on people’s health,” according to the White House. He also created a new Office of Environmental Justice to coordinate environmental justice efforts through the administration.
BIDEN’S EXECUTIVE ORDER TO REQUIRE AGENCIES TO MAKE ‘ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE’ PART OF THE MISSION
Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, introduced legislation with 22 GOP cosponsors that would repeal President Biden’s executive order on “environmental justice.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The focus on “environmental justice” means “every federal agency must consider environmental and health impacts on communities and work to prevent those negative impacts,” Biden said at a signing ceremony on May 21. april.
The executive order also recognized that “racism is a fundamental driver of environmental injustice.” It directs federal agencies to investigate and prevent disproportionate impacts of environmental and health damage on poor and minority communities. It also requires agencies to consult with historically excluded communities and “actively facilitate meaningful public participation and fair treatment of all people in agency decision-making.”
BIDEN ADMIN INADVERTENTLY PRAISE BENEFITS OF FOSSIL FUEL DRILLING
President Biden signs an executive order on further actions to advance environmental justice, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, April 21, 2023. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Pfluger said those priorities were wrong and harmful.
“Despite the national education crisis caused by COVID-19 school closures, Biden’s Department of Education is using its resources to force climate change propaganda on children. The Justice Department, which should investigating the Biden family’s many foreign influence schemes, will instead improve the climate literacy of its staff and electrify its more than 40,000 vehicles.At the Environmental Protection Agency, these additional powers are used to shut down manufacturing facilities in the United States,” he said.
“This is the militarization of the federal government at its worst. I am proud to lead the charge against this incredibly harmful executive order,” Pfluger added.
REPUBLICAN STATES PREPARING LEGAL ACTION OVER BIDEN POWER PLANT REGULATIONS
President Biden speaks with EPA Administrator Michael Regan after signing an executive order that would create the White House Office of Environmental Justice, in the Rose Garden of the White House on April 21, 2023, in Washington, D.C. DC The order directs federal agencies to invest in communities disproportionately affected by pollution and climate change. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Pfluger’s bill has 22 Republican co-sponsors.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Biden officials have previously accused “extreme MAGA Republicans” of being in the pocket of Big Oil and pitted the president’s actions against GOP efforts to lower energy costs through deregulation and backing of corporations. fossil fuels.
“President McCarthy and his caucus’ extreme proposals, including HR 1, would be a climate and health catastrophe that President Biden will not allow under his watch,” the White House said in April.
