Climate change has taken a more prominent role in this year's election, with both presidential candidates weighing in during last week's final debate. For the sake of the environment, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) says the need for the Biden administration to take over the White House is more urgent than ever.
"Trump has basically set himself with the fossil fuel industry and the climate-denial establishment, and Joe Biden is listening to the scientists and talking about infrastructure, innovation and jobs and the kind of leadership that America can provide to get us through this," Whitehouse told Cheddar.
The senator, who is part of the Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, said the party is looking to pass a "very big, really meaningful climate bill" if Biden is elected and they win both houses of Congress. However, Whitehouse admits that the former vice president may face an uphill battle against the influence of "dark money" from the fossil fuel industry.
"The real problem is going to be those Republicans in the Senate who will try to use the filibuster and their position, even though they're in the minority, to block this," Whitehouse said. "They have basically become the political wing of the fossil fuel industry."
He worried that the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday might make it even more difficult for a Biden administration to find success with climate change efforts, claiming the Republican appointees on the Supreme Court have gone "out of their way to cover for the fossil fuel industry and do things that were completely unprecedented."
"The most unprecedented thing being to stop President Obama's clean power plan with an interlocutory stay, which the Supreme Court had never issued before," he noted, regarding the earlier Democratic administration.
According to the senator, the United States' position as a world leader has dipped under Trump, and in order to re-establish the nation's eminence, on climate especially, electing Biden will be key.
"You've got a really vital need for America to step up and assume a leadership role. Under President Trump, we've sniveled and shriveled away from this issue, and the world has been very confused by our lack of leadership," Whitehouse claimed.
For the Rhode Island senator, the climate crisis is a particularly important issue as The Ocean State's shores are threatened by rising sea levels.
"As you know, Rhode Island is a coastal state, so when you're talking about 6 feet, 10 feet of sea level rise, that really is a danger for so many Rhode Island communities and for our economy. So we've got to start preparing for what we can't avoid," he said.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday signaled a cautious approach to future interest rate cuts, in sharp contrast with other Fed officials who have called for a more urgent approach. In remarks in Providence, Rhode Island, Powell noted that there are risks to both of the Fed’s goals of seeking maximum employment and stable prices. His approach is in sharp contrast to some members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee who are pushing for faster cuts.
President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the American media landscape have led to the suspension of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years. He says the freedom the company used to have to speak up on social issues has been stifled
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation’s labor market. The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate unchanged this year as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy. The only dissenter was Stephen Miran, the recent Trump-appointee.
After a late-night vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal.
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
President Donald Trump's administration is appealing a ruling blocking him from immediately firing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook as he seeks more control over the traditionally independent board. The notice of appeal was filed Wednesday, hours after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb handed down the ruling. The White House insists the Republican president had the right to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations involving properties in Michigan and Georgia from before she joined the Fed. Cook's lawsuit denies the allegations and says the firing was unlawful. The case could soon reach the Supreme Court, which has allowed Trump to fire members of other independent agencies but suggested that power has limitations at the Fed.
Chief Justice John Roberts has let President Donald Trump remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission, the latest in a string of high-profile firings allowed for now by the Supreme Court.
