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Progressives are trying to sell President Biden’s infrastructure initiative off with new cable TV ads arguing that clean energy projects will immediately create thousands of jobs.
Why is this important: White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested on Sunday that Biden would split his potential $ 3 trillion package in half – investments in infrastructure, followed by billions more for the “delivery economy. care”. The first political fight can relate to what is qualified as infrastructure.
- Climate Power, an environmental group closely linked to the White House, will spend an additional $ 2 million over the next month on national cable and digital ads, arguing that major clean energy spending enjoys bipartisan support .
- The ads will be part of a global effort of $ 10 million.
- “Investing in clean energy and infrastructure is the best, fastest and most efficient way to put people to work and tackle the climate crisis,” writes John Podesta, member of the group’s advisory board, in a note describing his plans.
Our thought bubble: “There may be resistance to making infrastructure bills too heavy for the climate, unless the public sees clean energy spending as a win / win for jobs and the environment,” writes Andrew Freedman, Axios energy and climate reporter.
Between the lines: White House officials know there is a limit to the number of “out of the box” jobs in any infrastructure package.
- Progressives are preparing for this coming battle.
- Their argument is that green infrastructure will give the economy a boost in the short and long term: first, with thousands of new jobs to actually build projects, then with a series of hires in an economy driven by clean energy.
The big picture: By dividing Biden’s Build Back Better program into two legislative proposals, the White House is trying to suggest that the first won’t generate much controversy.
- “The roads, the railways, rebuilding them – it’s not a partisan issue,” Psaki told “Fox News Sunday”.
- In reality, many Republicans support traditional surface transportation projects, but some have little incentive to spend billions on charging stations and new power grids.
In numbers: Like Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion US bailout, Democrats insist the president’s infrastructure proposals enjoy national bipartisan support, even though Republicans in the House and Senate have signaled their opposition.
- Some 67% of voters say the federal government should do more to modernize U.S. infrastructure, according to a new poll for Climate Power and Data for Progress.
- 73% say it’s time for Congress to invest in infrastructure.
Between the lines: More than two-thirds of voters would be more likely to support the Build Back Better plan if it prioritizes oil and gas workers for new clean energy jobs and if they have the chance to unionize.
The bottom line: Democrats insist that all laid-off workers in the oil and gas industry will be able to find jobs in the green energy economy.
- This is a difficult argument to make in Trump country.
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