Yet, it is Biden’s open hostility toward the oil and gas industry and his stated policy aim to “get rid of fossil fuels” that limits cooperation with Republicans who favour an all-of-the-above approach with energy. Mike Williams, senior fellow at the Center for American ProgressĪ case in point was last year’s $1trn infrastructure law, the first significant US investment in climate resilience and a rare, high-profile political win for Biden. There is still hope we can get something across the finish line but not a ton of time is left While many, perhaps most, Republicans reject Biden’s contention that climate change is an “existential threat” to US national security, some are open to bipartisan measures that address its more pronounced economic, environmental, and health impacts. The GOP has no incentive to help an unpopular leader struggling with crises on multiple fronts pass a potentially large partisan spending bill they believe would further stoke 40-year- high inflation – currently the number one concern of US voters. With Biden’s approval rating lower than any US president of the modern era at this stage of their term and 70% of Americans believing the country is moving ‘in the wrong direction’, the political momentum clearly favours the Republicans. The odds of coming back post-August recess and getting meaty things done between then and the election are low historically,” he said. “In an election year, it is well-known that the August recess is pretty much the drop-dead time for legislation before the end of Congress.
“There is still hope we can get something across the finish line but not a ton of time is left,” said Mike Williams, senior fellow, at the Center for American Progress, the leading progressive Democratic think tank in Washington, DC. Having Democrats in the minority in the House of Representatives and/or Senate would constrain the US president’s ability to proactively advance the country down a path to meet its 2030 Paris Agreement pledge to slash greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% from 2005 levels. "If I didn't have Jack's fuel allowance, I would not have been able to heat the house and that's the truth," added Aisling.Can Biden use high fuel prices and Ukraine war to drive forward his climate ambitions?Įarly polls show Democrats will lose control of one or both houses of Congress in mid-term elections, an outcome that would reset the balance of power in Washington for Biden’s remaining two years in office.
I get the Carer’s Allowance and I have the Household Benefits package which gives me some money toward my electricity bills and gives me my TV licence for free but it's tough going. Jack turned 16 last summer, he gets Disability Allowance now. That’s just colossal."Īisling and Jack do receive allowances to help with their bills but as inflation continues to bite, additional measures would be most welcome. "I had a 500-litre fill last December and it was €395, and then I put in a fill…for €595 and then at the end of April.that was €690. Their oil costs have nearly doubled in less than six months. Jack’s condition also means their house must be kept warm. "And then I’ve got the bed which is a high/low one, then I have a nebuliser here for Jack and a monitor which measures his heart rate and his oxygen." There are lots of items of medical equipment in the house and that means their electricity bills are high, but they can't cut back on that.Īisling explains what some of the medical equipment is used for in Jack’s bedroom: "The first thing I have is the ceiling track hoist, and that goes into the bathroom. We have been at home and not doing anything but any money that we do have is gone now on bills, so yeah, it's tough," said Aisling. "This coming now (after Covid) is kind of like the straw that broke the camel's back. Aisling provides him with round-the-clock care.
They did make some changes: They cut back on TV bills, and cheaper house and car insurance was found. For Aisling McNiffe and her son Jack, trying to cut back on spending during this cost-of-living crunch is a real challenge.įinancially they already had little room for manoeuvre.