Biden Announces New Measures to Address Extreme Heat
Facts
- As 180M Americans are under heat watches or warnings, US Pres. Biden announced measures on Thursday to try to tackle the effects of extreme heat. Major east coast cities, such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington DC, were under heat emergencies on Thursday.1
- Biden said new the policies would protect workers, improve access to drinking water, and enhance forecasting.2
- Biden said during the White House press conference that heat is the primary cause of weather-related deaths in the world, with 600 dying annually in the US alone from heat-related events — more than floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined. Biden also tied the heatwaves to climate change.3
- As part of the White House plan, The Dept. of Labor is developing standards for how workplaces deal with heat and issued a hazard alert for the construction and agricultural sectors.4
- Temperatures in Washington DC could hit triple digits for the first time in years and Phoenix broke it's all-time daily high temperature earlier this week.3
- This comes as Texas has implemented a controversial bill stripping protections for outdoor water breaks for outdoor workers. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) began a "thirst strike" in response.5
Sources: 1BBC News, 2Guardian, 3ABC News (a), 4NPR Online News, and 5ABC News (b).
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by PBS NewsHour. Climate change is real and is here, as large parts of the US are baking in a record heat wave. Pres. Biden called the Dept. of Labor to implement the new heat standard for outdoor workers — something desperately needed after the unconscionable Texas ruling. Employers must provide shade, water, and paid breaks. Biden's plan will ensure they do.
- Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart. In Texas, the move to alter local water break regulations simply streamlined a patchwork of local laws and cut red tape for private businesses. That law also wouldn't have stopped workers from taking breaks altogether. Even as Biden tries to enact policies about the heat, this administration has to tie it to climate wokeness and overbearing federal government oversight.