On Monday, Joe Biden approved the much anticipated Willow Project in Alaska.
This is a massive drilling project that will open up on three locations with more than 200 wells.
This may be the first time his presidency that the right has applauded something that he has done. It also happens to be something that has brought about the complete ire of the left, reports The Hill.
Broken Promises
A group of Democrats led by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez went after Biden as soon as the news broke.
In addition to AOC, Fox News reports that Reps. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., Jared Huffman, D-Calif., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, all went after Biden.
The joint statement read, "The Biden administration has committed to fighting climate change and advancing environmental justice—today's decision to approve the Willow project fails to live up to those promises. Their decision ignores ... the irrefutable science that says we must stop building projects like this to slow the ever more devastating impacts of climate change.
"This administration clearly knows what the path to a cleaner and more just future looks like — we wish they hadn't chosen to stray so far from that path with today's Willow decision. The only acceptable Willow project is no Willow project."
Biden tried to temper the decision by saying that they were securing 16 million acres of land and water that would be closed off from oil and gas development, but that did not pacify AOC and gang. She stated that "split decisions in the face of the climate crisis are not good enough."
Senator Heinrich (D-N.M.) added, "It's disappointing to see Secretary [Deb] Haaland and President [Joe] Biden approve the 'Willow Project' for ConocoPhillips. The Western Arctic is one of the last great wild landscapes on the planet and as public land it belongs to every American. Industrial development in this unspoiled landscape will not age well."
Rep. Tlaib (D-MI) did not want to miss out on the fun, stating, "This disastrous decision to approve the Willow Project in Alaska, one of the largest oil development projects in decades, will have devastating consequences on our planet, frontline communities, and wildlife."
Karlin Itchoak, the Alaska senior regional director for The Wilderness Society, hinted at massive overreach in her complaint, so read this one carefully. Itchoak stated, "This is a crushing step backward at a time when we need this administration to make every leasing and permitting decision through the lens of a comprehensive plan to make public lands part of the climate solution."
Who knows how much support this will lose Biden moving forward, but I would imagine it will be disheartening more than anything, and that usually means a lower turnout come election day.
By the way, did you notice who was not complaining about the project? Lawmakers from Alaska.
