2022 State of the Union Address
By Annie Regan
Tonight, President Joe Biden will give the State of the Union. You can tune in at 9 p.m. tonight and watch it here. While the ReImagine Appalachia coalition hopes that he will touch on the issues we believe will strengthen our region and nation as a whole, we realize this opportunity should shed light on the devastation that is happening in Ukraine.
That being said, it is also a time to reflect on the importance of both fortifying our democracy and reducing dependence on foreign oil.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will continue to drive up gas prices in the U.S. and across the globe, fueling inflation across every sector of our supply chain that relies on global oil and gas prices. This conflict is further proof that we need to swiftly move to a clean energy economy and secure our energy independence. Investments in climate infrastructure, like those proposed by President Biden, will increase the diversity of our energy supply and help accelerate the production of cheaper, cleaner energy here in America that isn’t impacted by conflicts overseas over foreign oil and gas.
Investing in climate infrastructure is an anti-inflation agenda
Our economy, and those of our western allies, is far too dependent on volatile global oil and gas prices. This can and should change. The Climate Infrastructure Jobs Act, formerly known as BBB, is the mechanism for that change.
We can modernize our energy and transportation systems, create good paying union jobs in the process, and improve public health by passing historic investments to address the climate crisis.
In late 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed $1.2 trillion in investments for climate, justice, and jobs. This is just the downpayment for what is needed to implement long-term economic effects in the region. In Appalachia, there is still a need for increased investment in communities dealing with the transitioning energy economy. There is a critical need to couple investments we face with our crumbling infrastructure and the effects of climate change–such as increased flooding– that our region faces.
While our thoughts go with those affected by the war overseas, we also realize how crucial it is to continue our campaign during this time. And that everyone understands the role our world’s dependence plays on foreign oil and gas in cross-border aggressions. Just another reason we must get the Climate Infrastructure Jobs Act passed.
Check this out from the White House Face Sheet: President Biden to Highlight Clean Energy Manufacturing and Deployment Investments that Cut Consumer Costs, Strengthen U.S. Energy Sector, and Create Good-Paying Jobs