Party control of the U.S. Senate has already been decided, but a critical question still hangs on the outcome of Georgia’s runoff election on December 6. Will Joe Manchin’s veto power over American energy policy be broken?
Senator Manchin’s (D-WV) opposition forced deep cutbacks in President Biden’s proposed “Build Back Better” package of clean energy and climate investments this year. Manchin also demanded and received concessions in the form of continued subsidies for fossil fuels in the package which did pass. He was able to obtain such concessions over the preferences of an overwhelming majority of his own Senate caucus, due to the 50-50 Senate tie and the unified opposition of all Republican Senators, which meant that each member of the Senate Democratic caucus could wield a veto over passage of the bill.
A win by incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in the Georgia runoff election concluding next Tuesday (December 6) would give the Democratic caucus 51 votes, an absolute majority of the Senate. Not only would this greatly simplify the passage of bills through committee; it also would mean that Sen. Manchin would no longer be able to veto clean energy budget and policy choices supported by the remainder of his party’s Senate caucus.
Beyond this important immediate change, the dramatic differences between Sen. Warnock’s environmental and climate stances and those of his opponent in the runoff would be deeply significant in the longer run. Elected just two years ago to fill an unexpired term, Sen. Warnock already has become a “proven champion” of environmental justice and climate action in the Senate.
In contrast, his opponent Herschel Walker was named one of 2022’s “Dirty Dozen” worst federal environmental candidates by the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund (LCVVF). “When he’s not making nonsensical, incoherent statements about climate change, he’s offering a forceful defense of the failed energy policies of the past, which includes supporting the dangerous Keystone XL pipeline. Walker’s campaign is heavily funded by the oil and gas industry, raking in more than $140,000 in donations from Big Oil and other energy interests in the short time he’s been a candidate.”
LCVVF has announced extensive efforts to support a Warnock victory in the runoff. It said that organizers will knock 105,000 doors in the coming weeks in key Atlanta suburbs to ensure target voters understand Warnock’s record on climate, jobs, and justice, and know how, when, and where to cast their vote by December 6. At the same time, a subset of low turnout voters who are highly motivated by climate messaging will be served digital ads over the next three weeks. This paid media in the Georgia runoff is an extension of LCV Victory Fund and Climate Power Action’s Climate Voters Mobilization campaign during the 2022 General Election. With just one week remaining in this critical election, Sen. Warnock also remains a designated priority candidate on the GiveGreen direct contributions page.
