On Monday, President Joe Biden invoked the Defense Production Act in order to import more solar panels into the United States. He did so to bolster his climate change agenda and without a real emergency to justify the move.
A reporter asks what emergency has prompted Joe Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act to build solar panels.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 6, 2022
KJP: "The president, when he takes the Defense Production Act, it's to make sure that he's delivering for the American people." pic.twitter.com/2VvkU9Cr9c
Biden's decision came after pressure from climate czar and private jet aficionado John Kerry, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and other leftist Green New Deal advocates.
“A Biden administration official, who asked not to be identified to discuss internal deliberations, said Biden's decision was driven by White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy and climate envoy John Kerry, along with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.”https://t.co/4W3NHOmCU0 pic.twitter.com/fzpvsImOmM
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) June 8, 2022
But the move is already backfiring and American companies are suing. From AP:
U.S. solar manufacturers say they are considering legal challenges after President Joe Biden declared a two-year pause for tariffs on solar imports from Southeast Asia.
Biden also invoked the Defense Production Act on Monday as the White House moved to jumpstart solar installations that have been slowed or abandoned amid a Commerce Department inquiry into possible trade violations involving Chinese products.
The White House said Biden's actions would boost an industry crucial to his climate change-fighting goals while not interfering with or shutting down the Commerce investigation.
But some domestic producers, including a California company that filed a complaint with Commerce about unfair competition from Chinese imports, said Biden's actions would help China’s state-subsidized solar companies at the expense of U.S. manufacturers.