President Biden — seen here in Washington on July 22, 2023 — is announcing some new measures to address extreme heat, including more inspections to protect workers.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
President Biden on Thursday is is set to announce new actions aimed at protecting communities from extreme heat, and will meet with mayors from two cities grappling with high temperatures.
Biden is asking the Department of Labor to issue a hazard alert for dangerous conditions in industries like agriculture and construction, where workers face a greater risk of injury and death from extreme heat — and the department plans to boost inspections in those sectors, the White House said.
The president will also highlight $152 million for water storage and pipelines for drought-stricken communities in western states, and $7 million for improving weather forecasts, the White House said.
The announcement comes on a day when Washington, D.C., is under a heat advisory. Biden will be joined at the White House event by the mayors of Phoenix and San Antonio to discuss the impacts of the extreme weather conditions on their cities.
Climate activists have urged Biden to use his emergency powers and restrict fossil fuel production. But the White House has sidestepped those calls and emphasized Biden's track record on investing in clean energy through last year's Inflation Reduction Act.
"He's taken more action, has been more aggressive on dealing with climate change than any other president," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday.
"He has an ambitious agenda to deal with climate change, and he's going to move forward with that agenda," she said.
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