(Source: League of Conservation Voters/Twitter)
On Monday, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), a prominent environmental advocacy group, officially endorsed former Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden for president. "The only way we can save our planet is to elect strong leaders who will advance just & equitable solutions to the climate crisis," LCV said in a tweet. "That’s why LCVAF [League of Conservation Voters Action Fund] is proud to endorse [Joe Biden] for President and work together to protect our families' health and future."
While there is no doubt that Biden is far more progressive than President Trump on the issue of climate change and the environment, that is not exactly a tall mountain to climb. And calling the former a "strong leader" to lead the nation against the impending climate crisis is a bold statement, and, given who Biden had surrounded himself with on the campaign trail, as well as his donors, a somewhat questionable one.
Biden's campaign co-chairs include Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. All four have each taken campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry throughout their respective careers in elected office. Blunt Rochester, throughout her two most recent campaigns for House (no data is available for her first campaign in 2016), has taken $12,060 from the industry, while Richmond has taken $291,050 throughout his. Whitmer has taken $16,956 throughout her career, and Garcetti took $7,850 during his 2013 mayoral run (no data is available for his 2017 re-election campaign). Additionally, below is a list of how much money Biden has taken from lobbying firms representing the oil and gas industry, as well as lobbying firms of which those representing the industry are affiliates.
Greenberg Traurig LLP: $56,746
DLA Piper: $45,636
Covington & Burling: $43,502
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: $34,488
Perkins Coie: $30,154
McGuireWoods LLP: $25,974
Mayer Brown LLP: $25,753
Hogan Lovells: $23,042
Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney: $21,935
Ernst & Young: $18,559
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP: $14,541
Alston & Bird: $13,549
Thompson Coburn LLP: $9,690
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: $9,186
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman: $8,880
Steptoe & Johnson: $7,825
Holland & Knight: $7,490
Dentons: $7,048
K&L Gates: $6,994
Barnes & Thornburg: $6,355
Baker & Hostetler: $6,062
Jones Walker LLP: $5,225
GrayRobinson PA: $4,280
Clark Hill PLC: $4,075
DCI Group: $3,100
Ice Miller LLP: $3,090 Kelley, Drye & Warren: $2,913
Squire Patton Boggs: $2,910
Ballard Partners: $2,510
Adams & Reese: $2,165
Foley & Lardner: $1,613
Michael, Best & Friedrich: $1,598
Eversheds Sutherland: $1,461
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips: $1,287
Bracewell LLP: $1,010
Forbes Tate Partners: $655
BGR Group: $550
Strategies 360: $360
Van Ness Feldman: $250
Russell Group: $110
Cassidy & Associates: $50
Williams & Jensen: $35
Total: $465,990
Given the money Biden and his campaign's co-chairs have taken from the oil and gas industry, and those representing it, it seems unlikely that he would be the "strong leader" LCV claims America needs to combat the climate crisis. Again, there is no doubt to anyone on the left that Biden is better on this issue than Trump, but given who he has taken donations from and who he has surrounded himself with on his campaign, his actions regarding this issue would probably only go so far.
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