Biden To Speak On Climate During Earth Day Appearance In Seattle

SEATTLE — President Joe Biden is taking his first tour of the Pacific Northwest since his election in 2020, touting his accomplishments on infrastructure spending and urging congress to do more on the climate crisis.

The president's two-day tour includes a visit to Portland Air National Guard Base, the Seattle Times reported, followed by a political fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee in Portland, a second fundraiser in Seattle Thursday night, then two public appearances in Seattle.

In the first, Biden will talk on his efforts to lower prescription drug costs, including calling for caps on insulin prices, the Times reported. There he will also tout his executive actions to extend the freeze on student loan payments, and minor changes to the Affordable Care Act.

The second appearance will be an Earth Day event where, joined by Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Biden is expected to speak on the United States' plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and efforts to improve inflation.

Related: Biden Lands In Seattle: Expect Traffic Impacts Into Friday

Biden's administration has struggled to make meaningful progress on climate change in the past. Despite promising investments in clean energy and other green policies, Biden's proposals have largely stalled in Congress. Complicating the issue is the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which prompted the White House to release more oil from the nation's strategic reserve and incentivize further drilling— a move scientists warn could be a major setback for the environment.

The Biden administration has defended the president's record on global warming, but concedes that there is much more work to be done.

“Two things can be true at the same time," said Ali Zaidi, the president's deputy national climate adviser. "We can have accomplished a lot, and have a long way to go.”

Others, like Kyle Tisdel, climate and energy program director with the Western Environmental Law Center, say the move is a betrayal of Biden's promises at least year's Earth Day summit.

“Climate action was a pillar of President Biden’s campaign, and his promises on this existential issue were a major reason the public elected him,″ Tisdel said. ”Achieving results on climate is not a matter of domestic politics, it’s life and death.”

The president had initially proposed a $1.75 trillion plan for expanding education programs, social services and environmental policies, but the Build Back Better program was defeated by Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia). Biden has said he hopes to revive the bill in some form, but it would likely require support from Manchin — whose personal fortune comes from coal mining and who represents a state heavily invested in fossil fuels — and thus would likely need to be very moderate to succeed.

Following Biden's Earth Day talk in Seattle, White House administration officials are set to speak Saturday at a rally outside the White House, wherein climate, labor and social justice groups will urge congress to pass stronger climate protections before Memorial Day. The White House is continuing to push for $300 billion in tax credits for clean energy, which could be crucial in meeting the president's goal of cutting emissions by up to 52 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this report.