Progress Report: President Biden’s First 100 Days
Our new progress report finds that despite the need to rebuild many federal agencies and tackle the COVID-19 crisis, the Biden administration has already taken numerous steps to restore environmental protections.
From water pollution to increasingly fierce wildfires, President Joe Biden took office after years of worsening environmental problems. In December 2020, U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Environment America Research & Policy Center released a report, First Things to Fix, identifying five actions the Biden administration could set in motion on day one to protect the environment. The organizations also identified 15 additional actions that would have a significant impact on conserving our natural spaces, cleaning up our air and water, and combating the climate crisis.
Our progress report finds that despite the need to rebuild many federal agencies and tackle the COVID-19 crisis, the Biden administration has already taken steps to restore many key environmental protections. And, President Biden has made bold strides to safeguard our lands and oceans, get the lead out of drinking water, go big on offshore wind and more. However, of our initial list of 20 near-term actions, only one is complete: Rejoining the Paris climate accord.
The Biden administration’s agenda for the next 100 days should continue to focus on undoing the many harmful Trump administration rollbacks by restoring popular environmental policies listed below.
First things to fix
Additional environmental priorities
More information on actions in progress
Strengthen fuel economy and emissions standards and reaffirm California’s authority to set stronger vehicle emissions standards: The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday it would begin to undo the Trump administration’s attempt to block states such as California from setting stronger tailpipe emissions standards than the federal government. The Department of Transportation also proposed withdrawing a Trump-era rule that blocked states from setting their own standards.
- Next steps: The EPA and DOT proposed rules are open to public comment and then can be finalized by the Biden administration. The Biden administration also plans to begin rulemaking to reverse the Trump administration’s lower federal fuel economy and emissions standards for vehicles.
Withdraw from Trump’s offshore drilling plan: President Biden and the Department of Interior have taken actions to protect America’s coasts from offshore drilling including instating a one-year moratorium on new offshore leasing; beginning a comprehensive review of the department’s oil and gas leasing and permitting; and holding a public forum on oil and gas leasing.
- Next steps: The Biden administration should withdraw the Trump administration’s draft offshore drilling plan and take new leasing off the table completely.
Update regulations to control methane emissions: Members of Congress have introduced resolutions in both chambers to reinstate regulations on methane emissions from oil and gas operations.
- Next steps: The Senate is expected to vote the week of April 26th.
Support ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocols to phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons: Upon taking office, President Biden directed the State Department to prepare the necessary treaty package. The State Department sent the package to the White House in late March.
- Next steps: The Senate needs to ratify the treaty by a two-thirds vote.
Get the lead out of drinking water: President Biden proposed an infrastructure plan that includes funding to replace all lead pipes.
- Next steps: Congress would need to approve this funding. The Biden administration is also receiving public input on how to strengthen the Lead & Copper Rule to stop widespread contamination of our drinking water.
Stop oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: President Biden placed a temporary moratorium on all federal activities related to the implementation of the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
- Next steps: To permanently stop oil and gas leasing in the Arctic refuge, Congress needs to undo legislation requiring lease sales.
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Topics
Authors
Matt Casale
Former Director, Environment Campaigns, U.S. PIRG Education Fund
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