Biden Must Usher in a New Era of Global Renewable Energy

After the White House announced new sanctions by the United States on Russian oil, Varshini Prakash, Executive Director of Sunrise Movement, released the following statement:

"Now that President Biden has made the right decision to cut Russian oil from our economy, he will face immense pressure from fossil fuel lobbyists and corrupt politicians to expand our domestic oil supply and to strengthen our reliance on oil dictators. He must resist this pressure, and instead lead a global transition to renewable energy that prioritizes human rights, democracy, and high labor standards.

"If Biden sides with fossil fuel executives who are capitalizing on instability, war, and mass suffering, there will be irreversible ramifications that would undermine any chance of him achieving his climate goals. But if Biden ushers in a new era of renewable energy, he could be the President that finally declares independence from fossil fuel tyrants and authoritarian petrostates. President Biden should use this moment to revive negotiations on Build Back Better, steamroll objections from fossil fuel lobbyists in the Senate, and finally invest in clean energy."

This comes at a time when corporations, including oil and gas companies, continue to make record profits, causing sky high inflation for working people. Instead of passing climate legislation that will transition America to clean energy, Biden has authorized the release of 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.