Critics Fear Democrats’ Climate Plans Could Lead To Harsh Restrictions

Recent actions by Democrats at the state and federal level are concerning conservative critics, who believe that the actions overstep constitutional bounds and could lead to harsher climate restrictions in the future.

The recent announcements by Democrats in Washington raised fears among Republicans that there could be severe restrictions based on climate policy.

In January, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a number of corporate regulations regarding climate change. These would force publicly-traded companies to create plans regarding the potential effects of changing climate.

However, these rules may come under fire from the Supreme Court as a potential overstepping of the SEC’s statutory ability.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used powers outside of its authority to regulate carbon emissions. In a 6-3 decision, the high court ruled in West Virginia v. EPA that the agency was not able to force compliance from companies under the existing powers of the Clean Air Act.

For many critics of the Biden Administration, the moves are examples of Washington overstepping its bounds. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced a bill preventing the Biden Administration from a speculative national ban on gas stoves.

The most immediate parallel for many conservative critics is the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Many restrictions were carried out through executive orders both in Washington and in the individual states.

The ability of states to mandate vaccination or close down schools through executive fiat has been a major point of contention for three years now.

Furthermore, the precedents set during the pandemic could be used to justify further actions regarding climate.

The actions by Democrats regarding climate concerns are happening outside of Washington, as well. States have been pushing for increasing restrictions, as well.

This includes California banning gasoline-powered cars by 2035. New York is considering a ban on gas stoves. The latter move comes as officials in Washington deny that there is a federal movement to ban such stoves.

Actions taken by Democrats in Washington and various states indicate that there will be further climate-related actions in the coming years.