“The View” panel took some fierce shots at Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Republican lawmakers Tuesday over climate change.
The co-hosts cited Manchin’s voting record and taking “dirty money” from the coal industry and energy companies. Referring to climate change as an “existential crisis,” co-host Sara Haines said lawmakers, including Manchin, should act on the issue rather than take money.
“We’re in trouble because of Manchin and because of people like him and the Republican Party,” co-host Joy Behar said. “Manchin’s citing inflation as the reason he doesn’t want the more higher taxes and the reason he doesn’t want that money circulating for climate change. But, he did vote for every single one of the military budgets over the last decade. Over $9 trillion, he voted for that. When it comes to the military budget, inflation goes out the window as far as Manchin and the Republican Party are concerned.”
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She said China has been the largest producer of greenhouse gas and Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “climate skeptic.” She then claimed between the climate and guns, the world is on a “suicide mission.” (RELATED: Joe Manchin Chastised His Own Party For Backing Climate Change Policies That Hurt Rural Americans)
“It’s money,” Haines said. “It’s money, Joy, there’s money all over the place because people are funding these politicians.”
Conservative guest co-host Lindsey Granger pointed to the evolution of beliefs on the issue of climate change. She said the Republican Party has a history of denying the issue, but nowadays members of the party and other conservatives are searching for solutions. She said Manchin is concerned about the people working in the fossil fuel industry and is prioritizing a plan for the shift to green energy.
“But maybe let’s go back to the table and talk about how to do this over 20 years and I think there are policies that existed for the Republican a month ago that they proposed, even though it’s not the same way to get to the goal, the goal is energy efficiency,” Granger said.
“Yeah, but they keep voting down all of the green energy possibilities,” Behar pushed back. Granger said the House Republicans proposed climate change policies that are being shunned by Democrats.
Co-host Sunny Hostin said it is being shunned because clean energy was not a part of the bill, due to 80% of oil and gas donations going toward Republicans over the last 30 years. The bill intended to increase hydropower, a large source of renewable energy, while ramping up fossil fuel production to combat high gas prices.
“I don’t think the Republican Party is in a position to tout its green energy platform because it doesn’t have a green energy platform,” Hostin said. “I think the reason it doesn’t have a green energy platform is because Joe Manchin is in the pockets of the coal energy.”
Hostin said Manchin is the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee and is in the top-20 richest senators group due to the donations from energy companies. Haines said members of Congress have a “conflict of interest” because they will support causes where the money is.
“We always get boned,” co-host Whoopi Goldberg said. “The people always get boned. Clean your crap up, you’re doing a disservice to the people you’re supposed to be supporting. What the hell is wrong with y’all? Don’t you see what’s happening?”
“No, they’re waiting for the Eiffel Tower to melt,” Behar replied.