Biden to issue new policy on climate, vowing to act if Congress doesn’t

The president’s new push comes in the wake of spiking temperatures at home and abroad — and fresh political setbacks in Congress. Last week, Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) informed Democratic leaders he was not ready to support billions of dollars in new climate spending as part of a sprawling economic package that the party had hoped to advance by this month. In staking his opposition, Manchin cited persistent concerns about inflation, marking the latest setback Democrats have faced at the hands of the moderate politician since last year.

For Biden, meanwhile, the climate announcement comes as he grapples with a broader array of domestic challenges that have sent his approval rating to new lows. He has faced frustration and anger from many Democrats for not being more forceful in response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, for example, and his administration has struggled to assuage Americans who have seen the prices of goods skyrocket at their fastest clip in roughly 40 years. In a more promising sign for Biden, though, gas prices have fallen 10 percent from their June peak above $5.

Biden is not expected to declare a national climate emergency during his speech Wednesday. But the president is considering such a declaration in the coming weeks, according to three sources familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to describe the deliberations, a move that could open the door for even tougher actions on climate to come. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed the move is under discussion, but said it would not be announced Wednesday.

Two of the individuals familiar with the president’s thinking said they expected additional climate-related announcements on the horizon in the weeks ahead. Still, the new directives are likely to amount to a marked departure from the more than $500 billion that Democrats initially sought as part of their ill-fated proposal, known as the Build Back Better Act. The sum would have been historic, as party lawmakers looked to leverage their rare control of the House, Senate and White House to secure more than the United States has ever spent in a single burst to protect and improve the environment.

With talks flagging in Congress, many Democrats in recent days have found themselves in a difficult political bind — hoping to work out a deal with Manchin yet fearful that the negotiations could collapse once again. The party faces a fast-ticking clock, with limited time remaining to use the process known as reconciliation that allows them to sidestep a Republican filibuster.

Manchin on Friday said he might be open to reconsidering his stance if the economy shows signs of improvement next month. But his opposition in the meantime has left Democrats unable to proceed with their original spending ambitions in the narrowly divided Senate — and prompted Biden to try to act on his own to reduce emissions and foster clean energy technology.

As a result, Democrats in recent days have set their sights instead on securing a smaller deal with Manchin focused on lowering health-care costs. And a number of party lawmakers have endorsed the still-forming White House effort to tackle climate change using its own authorities.

“Obviously, we want to encourage the president to use whatever executive powers that the commander in chief has in order to advance this goal while still leaving the door open to negotiate a legislative result,” said Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.).