WASHINGTON (AP) – Over the last year, President Joe Biden watched pieces of his domestic agenda get thrown overboard in an effort to keep it afloat. Free community college, child care funding, expanded preschool – all left behind.
But there was at least one critical piece that emerged largely intact, albeit not unscathed. The legislation approved by the Senate over the weekend includes nearly $400 billion for clean energy initiatives, the country’s largest-ever investment in fighting global warming.
The measure, which includes other provisions on taxes and prescription drugs, is expected to be passed by the House on Friday before going to Biden’s desk for his signature. In a statement to The Associated Press, Biden said the legislation will help fulfill his campaign promise to “build a clean energy future and create jobs for American workers building that future.”
“Our children and grandchildren will remember this for many years to come: this bill changes their lives and secures their future more than almost anything Washington has done for decades,” he said.
For the White House, the final result is proof of an approach – more focused on incentives than regulations or penalties – that was born from the failure to advance climate policy more than a decade ago, when Biden served as vice president.