Democrats Targeting Trump’s Energy Emergency

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President Donald Trump began dismantling his predecessor’s climate change and renewable energy policies on his first day in office, declaring a national energy emergency to speed up fossil fuel development — a policy he has summed up as “drill, baby, drill.”

The declaration calls on the federal government to make it easier for companies to build oil and gas projects, in part by weakening environmental reviews, with the goal of lowering prices and selling to international markets.

Democrats say that’s a sham. They point out that the U.S. is producing more oil and natural gas than any other country, and the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act boosted renewable energy at a critical time, creating jobs and addressing the climate change threat — 2024 was Earth’s hottest year on record amid the hottest 10-year stretch on record.

“It would also set a horrible precedent, that a president of either party can invent a sham emergency and then grab away from Congress powers that Congress has” in the Constitution, said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

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Kaine spoke Feb. 26 in support of a Senate resolution from Democrats to terminate Trump’s declaration, a move likely to be only symbolic given the party’s minority status. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has already made the U.S. an even friendlier environment for fossil fuels. Congress is helping, too, with the House set to vote on a measure to repeal a Biden administration-era methane fee on oil and gas producers.

Also, the …