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With the two Senate seat victories of Democratic candidates Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in Georgia yesterday, the Democrats will now have decisive control over the US Senate, garnering an easier passage of President-elect Joe Biden’s appointees and for lawmakers to pass new legislation on climate change.
Senate leadership will soon be under NY Democratic Senator Chuck Shumer who has shown interest in increasing federal spending on science research and innovation with the introduction of a new bill, signaled intent to increase spending on clean energy research and to work with the Biden administration on climate legislation.
A number of key committees like Senate Appropriations, Energy, Environment, Health, Science and more are expected to be led by Democrats, paving the way for the Biden administration to enact its climate policy priorities.
Perhaps key among the power shifts is the chance to invoke the Congressional Review Act, which can allow Democrats the opportunity to roll back regulations enacted during the Trump administration. The CRA requires a simple majority vote by both houses of Congress and the consent of the President, thus paving the way for the Democrats to undo Trump rules that weakened laws governing air pollution, endangered species and rules that limited the type of research the Environmental Protection Agency could conduct when writing new regulations. (ScienceMag)