ASSOCIATED PRESS • April 21, 2023
President Biden on Friday signed an executive order that would create the White House Office of Environmental Justice. The White House said it wants to ensure that poverty, race, and ethnic status do not lead to worse exposure to pollution and environmental harm. Biden tried to draw a contrast between his agenda and that of Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. GOP lawmakers have called for less regulation of oil production, while the Biden administration says the GOP policies would give benefits to highly profitable oil companies and surrender the renewable energy sector to the Chinese.