CNN Climate Correspondent Praises ‘Uprising’ of Staffers Demanding Action from Biden and Schumer: The ‘Fate of Life on Earth Is At Stake’
The “fate of life on Earth is at stake” due to climate change, CNN’s Bill Weir declared on the network on Tuesday following more than 200 congressional and government agency staffers writing a letter to President Joe Biden and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), urging them for immediate action to combat climate change.
Schumer individually faced protests this week too after multiple congressional staffers staged a sit-in at his office, demanding he restart negotiations on an emergency climate bill, something not feasible at the moment due to a lack of support from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).
Weir, CNN’s chief climate correspondent, referred to the letter as an “uprising” and said an emergency declaration on the climate from Biden could help the fight by shutting down things like offshore drilling. Weir added recent crises like heatwaves across the country and wildfires in California have created a sense of urgency these staffers don’t feel the president or Schumer are meeting.
“That’s why I think you are seeing this sort of uprising among staffers who thought they had the best chance in recent political history to lead on climate and nothing’s happening,” he said.
Acknowledging Biden can do more on the matter with executive powers, Weir argued Manchin being an essential vote for Democrats in the Senate on legislation is holding up what he describes as a literal life and death situation.
“It’s interesting that the letter from staffers, part of their plea is [to] please get Joe Manchin to change his mind. This is hung up on an old fashioned filibuster, sort of recent made-up American rules where the fate of life on Earth is at stake, and it doesn’t seem to match,” Weir said.
Protesters who demonstrated in Schumer’s office this week, many of whom were later arrested, also called on Schumer to work on getting Manchin’s support for aggressive climate change legislation. One protester, Saul Levin, who works under Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), told NBC News while he was detained by police that it’s Schumer’s job to keep the “herd” together, dubbing Manchin a sheep who strayed. The staffer accused Schumer of “giving up” on climate change action.
Watch above via CNN
