Because the money part of this stuff is all my-little-crony politics (politics, polity, polis, policy - note Greek root) we will begin with the wise words of the first inductee into the Climateer Hall of Fame, the 26th Secretary of War, the Democrat and Republican (!) Senator from Pennsylvania, Simon Cameron:
Our Hero
"The honest politician is one who
when he is bought, will stay bought."
First up, Politico, September 5:
Donald Trump pledged Thursday to rescind any “unspent” funds under the Inflation Reduction Act should he be elected in November — potentially upending key parts of the Democrats’ climate law and its benefits to Republican-led communities.
“To further defeat inflation, my plan will terminate the Green New Deal, which I call the Green New Scam,” the former president said before the Economic Club of New York in wide-ranging remarks focused on the economy, likening Biden’s agenda to a “waste” of money.
“It actually sets us back, as opposed to moves us forward. And [I will] rescind all unspent funds under the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act,” Trump added.
Trump’s formal threat to the climate law will likely only underscore the urgency for the Biden administration to get money from the law out the door. And it ups the ante in the ongoing debate among Republicans over how to address the law that is already bringing projects and investment dollars to GOP districts, should they gain control of both houses of Congress.
Trump did not specify which IRA programs he would target. Some Republicans in Congress have criticized the law’s funding for green banks and other programs while other GOP leaders have expressed support for maintaining some IRA tax credits that support manufacturing. And Trump’s former trade adviser Robert Lighthizer has suggested that some of the law’s provisions, like those that support U.S. factories, could be kept in place under a second Trump administration....
....MUCH MORE
And from Axios, September 9:
Announcements from the Biden administration have been coming fast and furious, from $7.3 billion for rural electric cooperatives to boost renewable power to nearing finalization of a new marine sanctuary in the last week alone.
Why it matters: The administration is in a race against the clock to get billions in "clean" energy funding out the door before the end of his term.
- Republican nominee Donald Trump has vowed to claw back unspent funding from President Biden's signature climate law.
- Even by the standards of previous administrations, Biden's late-stage climate and energy steps stand out, experts told Axios.
The big picture: Last week's announcements alone included $100 million from the bipartisan infrastructure and climate laws to hone extreme weather and climate forecasting at NOAA and $300 million from the EPA for greenhouse gas emissions reductions in tribal communities.
- In addition, the White House touted more wind energy investments, bringing total offshore wind power approvals to about 15 gigawatts, and the EPA touted new spending on cleaning up brownfield sites.
- There was also a species delisting — the Apache trout, from the Endangered Species Act.
Context: "The flurry of activity that is happening around regulations and implementation of policy — this happens every term," Sasha Mackler, executive director of the Bipartisan Policy Center's energy program, told Axios....
....MUCH MORE
For what it's worth the Green Banks appear to be straight up, Tammany Hall-style, political slush funds. If interested see April's "The EPA's National Clean Investment Fund Is Handing Out Substantial (multi-billion dollar) Grants".
