WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US President Joe Biden is set to travel to Europe without a deal on measures to tackle climate change, as chances of the divisive investment plan among members of Congress shrinking on Wednesday .
Joe Biden is expected to leave for Rome on Thursday morning to take part in the G20 leaders’ meeting, before heading to the UN climate conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.
The COP26 was to allow Joe Biden to present the efforts made by the United States to counter climate change and call on other countries to take similar measures.
But its investment plan of 1.500 to 2.000 billion dollars (of approximately 1.300 to 1.7250 billion euros) devoted to social spending and climate remains mired in intra-party feuds, as does the plan on infrastructure of 1.000 billion dollars. dollars which also includes climate-related measures.
A Democrat said it was too late for a deal to be finalized before the US president left. Others added that a deal found on Wednesday seemed unlikely.
The White House sought earlier Wednesday to present as still “realistic” that the spending plan signed by Joe Biden could gain congressional support by Thursday, but conceded he might have to leave for Europe without a final agreement in hand.
“Of course he would like to leave with a deal,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. She added, however, that world leaders “look at the president’s commitment” to infrastructure and climate, not what is voted on in Congress.
(Report Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw; French version Camille Raynaud)
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