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If Biden declares climate emergency, experts worry how wide the scope of his powers would be
Just The News ^ | Updated: August 20, 2023 - 11:39pm | By Addison Smith

Posted on 08/21/2023 6:22:32 AM PDT by Red Badger

A senior research fellow told Just the News why he thinks now would be "prime time" excuse for Biden to activate his emergency powers. Legal and Policy experts -- on the left and right -- are concerned that such powers may be "undermining democracy."

Last week, President Joe Biden said during an interview that his administration "already" declared a national emergency over climate change, before starting to clarify that he practically—not actually—had.

CNN called the statement "incorrect" but there is widespread speculation he will declare one soon. Citing anonymous White House sources, The Washington Post reported in July that Biden is considering whether to declare a national climate emergency in the coming weeks.

The deadly Maui wildfires have been the latest tragedy raised by climate activists as a justification for emergency powers to be authorized in America and across the globe.

"We saw him say, he’d done it… [or] virtually did it," Dr. H. Sterling Burnett, senior fellow at the Heartland Institute with a focus on climate issues, told Just the News. "Well, virtually isn't doing it, but that doesn't mean he won't do it in the future because he is talking about it."

Burnett added that there’s a "constant drumbeat from environmentalists in the progressive wing of the party to do this." But this loud outcry, he opined, comes from a tiny fraction of people.

"The people really pushing for a climate emergency are the fringe in the party. Everyone thinks that people want them to do something big about climate change, but poll after poll shows" people are not willing to make sacrifices commensurate with crisis claims.

In 2019, a recorded 35% of voters weren’t willing to spend any of their own money fighting climate change, and only 15% said they’d spend a maximum of $10 per month on it, per a Competitive Enterprise Institute poll.

Fast forward to 2023, and Pew Research indicates that overall, while a slight "majority (54%) of U.S. adults describe climate change as a major threat to the country’s well-being," that number "is down slightly from 2020." More importantly, the Pew Report notes that "while a majority of adults view climate change as a major threat, it is a lower priority than issues such as strengthening the economy and reducing health care costs" adding that 68% of those polled want fossil fuels to remain in America’s energy mix.

Burnett conjectured that though people's hesitance to jump off the climate change train may be rooted in the institutional narrative promoted in the mainstream media, Burnett also suggested there is concern because many understand the degree of power an emergency declaration would give to the federal government.

The U.S. Oil and Gas Association’s Tim Steward warned about the scope of such a declaration, telling Just The News that "If you grant the president's emergency powers to declare a climate emergency, it's just like COVID.” Steward added that "such a declaration would give the president “vast and unchecked authority to shut down everything from communications to infrastructure."

One legal outline advocating Biden’s emergency powers claimed he would be able to do things like end all crude oil exports and offshore oil and gas leasing, as well as dramatically accelerate the green energy transition.

Others have constitutional concerns about these type of declarations in general. The left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice points out that "overbroad emergency powers provide a ready mechanism for undermining democracy and entrenching political power." During the Trump administration, The Atlantic magazine called the scope of power granted by declaration "alarming."

Biden would be "basically declaring himself a dictator" for environmentalism, Burnett said. "It gives him tremendous powers, that whole range of authority to dictate things in the economy and people's actions."

Due to the likely pushback that would come from this, Burnett is slightly optimistic that Biden would back down from an emergency authorization.

"He wants the Democratic Party to be reelected," Burnett said, when asked why Biden has stayed on the fence about exercising his emergency powers. "So, were he to take this step and actually start imposing things before the next election, there's going to be problems with the polls come voting day."

However, he concluded, if Biden were to declare it, now would be a "prime time" due to the ongoing heat wave and "in response to the Maui fires."

Follow Addison on Twitter.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Health/Medicine; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: climateemergency; despotism; dictator; emergency; farleft; fjb; fringe; globalwarming; powergrab; tyranny; weather
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To: Red Badger

Funny...during the Trump admin and COVID we were constantly reminded that the POTUS has no such powers and that such emergency powers were at the Governor level.


21 posted on 08/21/2023 6:55:15 AM PDT by fuzzylogic (welfare state = sharing of poor moral choices among everybody)
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To: Red Badger
"Any excuse will serve a tyrant."
The Wolf and the Lamb
Aesop

22 posted on 08/21/2023 6:58:14 AM PDT by Savage Beast (Go to see Sound of Freedom. Encourage everyone you know to see it.)
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To: fuzzylogic
"Funny...during the Trump admin and COVID we were constantly reminded that the POTUS has no such powers and that such emergency powers were at the Governor level."

Which is why you'll see California, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Washington State, Arizona, Hawaii, and *maybe* Wisconsin going along with it.

The rest of the states? Depends on how much of a spine the governors and legislatures are.

But it won't end well if it does come to pass.

23 posted on 08/21/2023 7:11:18 AM PDT by Tench_Coxe (The woke were surprised by the reaction to the Bud Light fiasco. May there be many more surprises)
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To: ConservativeInPA

“Start the damn revolution.”

It started a few years ago. The left is conducting the “revolution” while we desperately cling to tradition and Constitution.


24 posted on 08/21/2023 7:23:58 AM PDT by AuntB (Trump is our Ben Franklin - Brilliant, Boisterous, Brave and ALL AMERICAN!)
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To: Red Badger

Just reinstate the CONvid rules. Remember the claims that since travel was reduced the air was the cleanest in a hundred years? And I could see MT Pinatubo from my front yard here in Reno. Two lies, one stone. Joe the destroyer and his pals are on it. To them, 🖕


25 posted on 08/21/2023 7:31:52 AM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉)
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To: ConservativeInPA

I have always been against a civil war as that would be the fastest way to destroy this country once and for all….unless there’s a great awakening then nothing will happen and it will get worse.

But now I’m seeing where this is headed and I’m tired of living like this…work is dead, everything is super expensive, people are arguing all the time and the media and government lies about everything. I’m ready….it ain’t getting any better, so let’s do this…the “bubba effect “ is about to kick in


26 posted on 08/21/2023 7:35:39 AM PDT by mikelets456
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To: Red Badger

Could be a tipping point. Depends on how many people say F this shiite and refuse to comply.


27 posted on 08/21/2023 7:44:46 AM PDT by No Party Affiliation
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To: cowboyusa
"The Boiling pot."Yeah, that was a real good article.
28 posted on 08/21/2023 7:50:30 AM PDT by unread (A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left ... ECC. 10:2)
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To: Red Badger

I believe the remedy for this is covered in paragraph .45 of section .308 of statute 5.56.


29 posted on 08/21/2023 7:53:23 AM PDT by muir_redwoods (Freedom isn't free, liberty isn't liberal and you'll never find anything Right on the Left)
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To: Red Badger
Biden needs a national emergency to allow him use of the National Preemptive Emergency Cellular Network, like they did in 2020. See-

link to https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/4175112/posts

An agreement with Obama's DoJ prevents public access to its workings or audits, reports, etc.

30 posted on 08/21/2023 7:59:38 AM PDT by RideForever (Damn, another dangling par .....)
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To: Red Badger

There is no “emergency” condition in the US Constitution that grant more powers of any kind.

We the People should declare a government emergency and remove this abomination of tyranny. If government can declare emergencies when they have no power to do so, then we can too!


31 posted on 08/21/2023 8:06:51 AM PDT by CodeToad (No Arm up! They have!)
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To: Red Badger

Until November 2024 Biden will be at his most dangerous time for America.


32 posted on 08/21/2023 8:09:35 AM PDT by Vaduz (....)
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To: Red Badger

Could be any time but I think it will be later this Fall, around the hysterical press releases from this year’s COP climate party. Maybe end of November.


33 posted on 08/21/2023 8:15:24 AM PDT by hinckley buzzard ( Resist the narrative.)
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To: cowboyusa
"Are they stupid enough to try it?"

I don't think these commies are stupid, I think they have a plan and know exactly what their doing.

WE, on the other, have no plan at all. So, we just through our hands in the air and say, WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH THOSE PEOPLE..!

We better wise-up pretty soon and put our boots on, or we may find ourselves on a fast train to a slow death.. :(

34 posted on 08/21/2023 8:19:01 AM PDT by unread (A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left ... ECC. 10:2)
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Their inability to bribe/coopt President Trump and their current failure to damage him politically among the citizens paying attention, terrifies them. Their fear has unhinged them. I’m hopeful the lines to the gallows for all these commies stretches for miles, because there are a lot of them, pretending to belong to either political party.


35 posted on 08/21/2023 8:28:09 AM PDT by curious7
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To: hinckley buzzard
Could be any time but I think it will be later this Fall, around the.........

...time the public finally gets ahold of the idea that he and his son and whole family are money-grubbing traitors..............

36 posted on 08/21/2023 9:26:14 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: ClearCase_guy
Might have to cancel the election because of weather.

I just read a MSM article puzzling over Biden's lack of preparation for the upcoming campaign. My thought was because there will be no election.

37 posted on 08/21/2023 10:11:17 AM PDT by TexasKamaAina (The time is out of joint. - Hamlet)
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To: Red Badger

And people wonder how stupid humans were to believe women were witches that they burned them at the stake.

Here we are again...stupid humans believing whatever they are told.


38 posted on 08/21/2023 11:43:38 AM PDT by joma89 (Buy weapons and ammo, folks, and have the will to use them.)
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To: joma89

39 posted on 08/21/2023 11:55:32 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Red Badger

40 posted on 08/21/2023 11:55:35 AM PDT by Dick Bachert (=uran)
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