WATCH: Colbert Presses VP Kamala Harris About President Biden ‘Breaking a Campaign Promise’

Late-night host Stephen Colbert repeatedly pressed Vice President Kamala Harris to explain President Joe Biden’s decision to “break a campaign promise” by approving a new oil project in Alaska.

The Biden administration’s Bureau of Land Management recently approved the Willow Master Development Plan (MDP) Project “allowing for construction and operation of infrastructure proposed by ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.”

The move was denounced by environmentalists and others, and came despite a campaign pledge Biden made, among other times, during a presidential debate  in 2020:

BIDEN: Number one, no more subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, no more drilling on federal lands, no more drilling, including offshore, no ability for the oil industry to continue to drill, period, ends, number one.

On Wednesday night’s edition of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the host noted that campaign promise, and asked Harris “what’s the calculus” involved in breaking it to approve the Willow project, and followed up a second time as well:

STEPHEN COLBERT: How do you square that with the president having said that, there will be no new drilling licenses issued on public land, and then approving the Willow Oil project in Alaska? People are saying that’s breaking a campaign promise. What’s the calculus there?

VP KAMALA HARRIS: Well, I understand the concerns that have been made. But here’s the thing. When you look at what our administration has done, it’s historic in terms of an investment in a clean energy economy.

We are putting America back on the map globally, recognizing that we must live up to our role, in terms of our ability to invest in the future, create jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And again, traveling the world, they are watching what we are doing as an example and as a challenge to nations around the world and what can be done to address this issue.

I would say that we have been quite bold in terms of the advances that we are making thus far, but we have more to do.

But look at, for example, what we’re doing around electric vehicles. We have just passed legislation that means that people will get rebates not only if you buy a new electric vehicle, but more importantly, rebates on used electric vehicles.

We are investing in the manufacturing of electric busses, electric school busses. We are partnering with the apprenticeship programs, IBEW and others who are training our workforce to do some of the most advanced work that can be done. So there’s a lot of good work happening.

STEPHEN COLBERT: Was there any discussion in the White House about what the blowback would be for approving the Willow Oil project? Because people have gotten quite upset about it. I think there’s some protesters outside right now.

VP KAMALA HARRIS: Well, I think that the concerns are based on what we should all be concerned about. But the solutions have to be, and include, what we are doing in terms of going forward, in terms of investments.

Watch above via The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

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