A burning issue: Biden and Democrats look to combat extreme heat across the US
Samantha-Jo Roth
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As millions of people are dealing with extreme heat waves across the country, President Joe Biden plans to address the soaring temperatures and climate change.
President Biden is expected to announce a plan Thursday to address extreme heat conditions, including more investments in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve weather forecasting and grants through the Department of Interior to increase the supply of clean drinking water. Biden will also be briefed by NOAA and Federal Emergency Management Agency officials on the steps being taken to protect Americans impacted by the extreme heat.
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“The mayors of Phoenix, Arizona, and San Antonio, Texas, will also be on hand to talk about the impacts of the climate crisis on their communities and the steps they are taking with this administration to protect communities from it,” said press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a briefing on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, Jean-Pierre detailed how the administration has attempted to respond to the soaring temperatures across the country.
“Whether it’s cooling stations and what FEMA is able to do to assist certain … areas in the country that [are] dealing with extreme weather. And we’ll continue to do that,” Jean-Pierre said Monday, sidestepping a question about whether the administration intends to issue an emergency declaration.
This all comes after more than a third of the United States is on alert after a deadly heat wave has affected the country for weeks. Heat alerts from the National Weather Service are now in effect for 120 million people across 27 states. The heat wave is now hitting the middle of the country, with temperatures near or above 100 degrees in cities like Des Moines, Iowa, Minneapolis, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are also looking for solutions. A group of Democrats in both the House and Senate are urging the Biden administration to issue new worker restrictions to address the extreme heat. The lawmakers want the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to craft a plan for workplaces to adjust their operations in record-breaking temperatures.
A letter led by Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) and 112 other Democratic members urged the Biden administration to craft new regulations to ensure workers have “a plan for acclimatization to high-heat work conditions,” like adequate water breaks, medical services, and rests.
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In the letter, lawmakers mentioned the recent heat-related deaths of two workers in Texas: one a U.S. Postal Service employee who died while on the job in 115-degree heat and an electrical worker who likely died from heat exhaustion.
“We know extreme weather events such as heat waves are becoming more frequent and more dangerous due to climate change,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “Urgent action is needed to prevent more deaths.”
In Phoenix, record-breaking heat continues. Wednesday marked 27 consecutive days with temperatures over 110 degrees. Every year, there are about 702 heat-related deaths in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Heat & Health Tracker. In 2022, 425 deaths were heat-related in Maricopa County, Arizona, according to the county Department of Public Health.
Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), and Mark Amodei (R-NV) introduced the bipartisan Extreme Heat Emergency Act last month that would add high temperatures to FEMA’s list of major disasters, which would then allow the agency to supply federal aid to combat the problem.
“If we have extreme heat like 115-degree temperatures that cause blackouts and people die, our local governments can’t call FEMA and ask for support because extreme heat is not considered a disaster,” Gallego said during a town hall in Peoria, Arizona, last month. “We need to be able to have the ability to call FEMA and say we need assistance, and the citizens should be able to do that in counties across the state.”
The bill would designate $30 million per year through 2030 for the grant program and guarantees at least 75% of the funds go to low-income communities. It does not have support from any Republicans.
Currently, disasters that qualify for FEMA aid are tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, tidal waves, snowstorms, and earthquakes. Many voters at Gallego’s town hall in Maricopa County, the state’s most populous area, said dealing with the extreme temperatures is among their No. 1 issues.
“I remember in 1991, the date that it hit 120 degrees. But, now we have 118-, 119-, 120-degree days every single year,” said Sylvia Rodriguez, a registered voter who lives in Sun City West. “Our bodies can’t cool off, and people that are living in communities and on fixed incomes can’t afford the air conditioning, and that’s why we have so many deaths and strokes.”
“It feels like more can be done to mitigate the worst of the heat. It’s among one of the issues I’m most worried about.” Rodriguez added.
Gallego also introduced the Excess Urban Heat Migration Act of 2023 with Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) in April, which would give money to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for grant programs that would aid in cooling down urban areas. The grants can be used to plant more trees, which would provide more shade, or it can be used to create and fund cooling centers that provide shelter and air conditioning, among other things.
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Additionally, Coleman reintroduced the Stay Cool Act in June, which includes provisions for heat studies, funds for cooling centers, and other cooling systems such as wading pools and misting stations. The bill would also revise public housing rules to ensure residents have access to air conditioning.
The bill would also create a national ranking system for extreme heat and would require the National Weather Service to study the impact of naming heat waves in the same manner as hurricanes and tropical storms. The bill also does not have Republican support.