President Joe Biden will travel to Massachusetts on Wednesday to promote his efforts to combat climate change but will stop short of issuing an emergency declaration that would unlock federal resources to deal with the issue, according to a person familiar with the president's plans.
Biden has been under pressure to issue an emergency declaration after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., pulled out of negotiations over climate legislation. Biden has been trying signal to Democratic voters that he’s aggressively tackling global warming at a time when some of his supporters have despaired about the lack of progress.
During his visit to Somerset, Mass., Biden could announce other steps on climate change but the White House has not released details. He has pledged to push forward on his own in the absence of congressional action.
The person familiar with Biden's intention to hold off on making an emergency declaration spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly. It was not clear whether an emergency declaration remained under consideration for later action.
