Biden Creates ‘American Climate Corps’ By Executive Fiat

After Congress declined to back Joe Biden’s “American Climate Corps” proposal, he decided to simply bypass lawmakers to achieve the agenda laid out for him by the radical leftists in charge of the Democratic Party.

Through an executive order, Biden aims to set up a New Deal-style corps, echoing programs from the era of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The objective is to employ around 20,000 young adults for green jobs, from building trails and planting trees to installing solar panels. But is this a prudent use of executive power or a slippery slope toward nationalizing the climate activist agenda?

The initiative was initially a part of sweeping climate legislation last year but got shelved due to “strong opposition from Republicans and concerns about cost,” as reported by Breitbart. Instead of taking these concerns into consideration, Biden and his allies are circumventing the democratic process. 

While Democrats are heralding this as a landmark achievement, Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, warns, “We don’t need another FDR program, and the idea that this is going to help land management is a false idea as well.”

The program’s projected cost remains undisclosed. However, Democrats had previously proposed a hefty $10 billion for the Climate Corps in a climate bill that eventually excluded the provision. The absence of budgetary details is a glaring omission, especially when the country struggles with persistent inflation and looming debt. The administration seems willing to write a blank check, backed by taxpayers, to advance its green agenda.

Unlike the 1930s, the U.S. is not in an economic depression – at least not yet. In August, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.8%, which is historically low. There’s a disconnect between the economic landscape of FDR’s era and today’s relatively robust economy. 

Supporters argue that the program will prepare workers for “good-paying union jobs in the clean economy,” but Republicans are skeptical. The program will likely take jobs away from other sectors, particularly those hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such a government-funded initiative could further distort the labor market and undermine private-sector efforts in the energy sector.

The administration’s partnership with at least six federal agencies and ten states for the Climate Corps raises further concerns. This level of federal overreach could set a precedent for future nationalized programs that skip the scrutiny of Congress and are less accountable to the public.

The American Climate Corps may sound good on paper. After all, who doesn’t want to “fight climate change, build community resilience and support environmental justice,” as touted by proponents like Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)? But the means to achieve these ends matter. The recent executive action reflects an unsettling trend, showing a willingness to sidestep constitutional checks and balances to push an agenda that Congress would never approve.