In his 2022 State of the Union address, President Joe Biden announced the Justice40 Initiative, a program intended to “transform” federal programs and advance “environmental justice.”
On Aug. 16, Biden advanced that agenda by signing the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, which, among other things, earmarked $60 billion for “environmental justice.”
Notably, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) stated about the $60 billion fund, “Congress made Clean Air Act history by giving those most at risk from climate change and other forms of air pollution central roles in developing solutions.”
President Joe Biden signs a series of executive orders at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office just hours after his inauguration in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Additionally, the EDF stated that thanks to the passage of the IRA, policymakers can no longer stand in the way or claim that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lacks authority to implement its agenda….