"White House Escalates Push For Clean Electricity Standard"

"White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy is laying out a case for Congress to pass a clean electricity standard in a budget reconciliation package, re-upping the push for climate legislation as Democratic leadership deals with competing infrastructure priorities on Capitol Hill.

In a memo circulated by the White House this morning, McCarthy and senior presidential adviser Anita Dunn said President Biden "intends to work with Congress through the budget process to pass additional legislation that will position the U.S. to combat climate change."

Biden struck a deal on infrastructure with a bipartisan group of senators this month. The White House and congressional leaders are hoping to enact the rest of his infrastructure plan — including its major climate provisions — via reconciliation, which allows certain spending and tax legislation to bypass the Senate filibuster.

The memo could help shore up support from environmental activists, who are increasingly worried their priorities will be left out of infrastructure talks altogether."

Nick Sobczyk and Scott Waldman report for E&E News June 30, 2021.

Source: E&E News, 07/01/2021