Trump's Chance to Cut Biden's Green Red Tape

President Trump's second term begins on January 20, offering a chance to quickly reverse some of Biden's policies. Many of these policies were implemented through executive orders and other non-legislative means, so Trump can use similar procedures to undo them. One key area to tackle is Biden's environmental-justice agenda. In his first week, Biden signed Executive Order 14008, aiming to help "marginalized" communities. Trump should issue a new executive order to roll back these environmental-justice rules and dismantle related departments within the EPA and other agencies. While environmental justice sounds good, it often hides unpopular social goals. For instance, Biden's Justice40 Initiative requires 40% of environmental program benefits to go to "disadvantaged" communities. This can mean expensive labor, costly project locations, or grants to activist groups.

These rules divert resources from traditional environmental priorities and make infrastructure more expensive. They also create red tape for many federal agencies, slowing down projects like electric-vehicle charging stations. Biden's EJ program also funnels billions to activist groups, some with radical politics. The Inflation Reduction Act, for example, tasks the EPA with distributing $3 billion to such groups. Trump can't undo all these programs with a pen, but he can demand transparency and replace EPA administrators. Congress should also trim these programs. Trump should expect pushback, but he should make it clear that the environmental-justice paradigm is hindering real progress.

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