A climate protester in Arizona briefly interrupted President Biden, demanding the declaration of a national climate emergency. This incident occurred during the president’s speech about protecting democracy and honoring the late Sen. John McCain at the Tempe Center for the Arts in Tempe, Arizona.
The protester was pressuring the president to declare a national emergency on the climate crisis. This declaration would unlock sweeping new federal regulations and funds to combat the climate emergency.
“Why have you yet to declare a climate emergency?” the protester yelled. “Hundreds of Arizonans have died.”
The president agreed to meet with the protester after his speech to discuss climate change if he would “shush up.”
“If you shush up, I’ll meet with you immediately after this,” Biden said. The president’s response, promising a meeting if the protester would quiet down, garnered applause from the audience. Some in the crowd shushed and booed the interrupting protester, while Biden responded with a calming hand gesture.
Despite the interruption, Biden continued his remarks. “Democracy is never easy, as we just demonstrated,” he noted. The event’s photographs depict the male heckler being escorted out of the Tempe Center for the Arts.
Biden's immediately capitulates to radical climate protestors who interrupted his speech.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 28, 2023
They were screaming about "declaring a climate emergency." pic.twitter.com/Liww4b1cBG
President Biden has been actively addressing the climate crisis since his tenure began. He rejoined the Paris Agreement and established the National Climate Task Force, aiming to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030, achieve 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and reach a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.
The administration set records for clean energy deployment in 2021, bringing enough new solar and wind projects online to power 10 million homes and tripling utility-scale battery storage capacity.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, is another significant step aiming to lower energy costs for households; create millions of jobs through the manufacturing of solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles; and advance environmental justice by cutting pollution.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides historic resources for upgrading the power grid, improving public transit and investing in zero-emission transit and school buses, installing a nationwide EV charging network and delivering clean water.
