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Senator Biden’s Unspectacular Environmental Record

By Robert Cowin
October 30, 2008
File under: Legislation, election 08

BidenJoe Biden has been, by and large, pretty good on environmental issues during his time in the Senate.  He’s voted in favor for higher fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, opposed the construction of new coal fire power plants, and supported subsidies for renewable energy technology, but he’s never really led any significant environmental initiatives.  Even John McCain has led an environmental initiative, introducing revolutionary environmental legislation that set hard caps for carbon emissions, and yet the best Biden can boast in all the years that he’s been a Senator is his co-sponsorship on good environmental legislation.

In fact, after over 30 years in the Senate, Joe Biden’s single biggest environmental accomplishment may very well be Henlopen State Park. Any time someone touts their biggest environmental accomplishments as having to do with land preservation that usually means that there’s not much depth to their record.  Of course every Senator will find it at times, “politically expedient” to support an environmental initiative, especially when it comes to land preservation.  I doubt there was much opposition in Delaware to the preservation of the 90 miles of coastal land which makes up Henlopen State Park.  But on the national stage, where has Biden taken a bold stand on an important environmental issue?

I’ve got the same problem with Joe Biden as I did with John Kerry … they didn’t really lead on anything during their time in the Senate.

Oddly enough, the issues where he has taken aggressive stances represent a disconnect from the message of his running mate.  Whereas Senator Obama supports increased nuclear power production, Senator Biden has voted against nuclear power subsidies in the past.  While Senator Obama has moderated his position on offshore drilling, Senator Biden as recently as September reiterated his opposition to it.

While Senator Biden should be looked at favorably by environmentalists for keeping faith with less “politically expedient” positions, it would be nice to see him lead on something for a change.

 
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