Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a conservative Democrat who represents the state, has signaled to the White House that he opposes a major climate policy in Vice President Joe Biden's multitrillion-dollar climate and social programs package, according to the New York Times.
If the president wants to approve the legislation via a procedure known as reconciliation, he will need the backing of all 50 Democratic senators in the Senate.
President Biden had pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by half from 2005 levels by 2030, but one important instrument that the administration intended to employ to accomplish that goal now seems to be out of reach for the time being.
Energy firms are already shifting to renewable energy, according to Senator Joe Manchin, who chairs the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Manchin made the statement during an interview on CNN in September.
In less than two weeks, global leaders will convene in Scotland for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
President Biden and John Kerry, his climate envoy, have been working hard to restore the United States' reputation on climate problems following years of inactivity and climate change denial.
"I'm not going to pretend it's the best way to send the best message. I mean, we need to do these things," Kerry said. He said that if Congress fails to pass significant climate change legislation, "it would be like President Trump pulling out of the Paris agreement, again."
What do you think of Manchin & his view?
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