On Friday, as a government shutdown looms amid a budget battle in Congress, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke to reporters about the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest conservation. The outgoing Biden administration has committed $1 billion in incentives aimed at curbing climate change without “burdening countries facing financial constraints.”
Yes, the Press Secretary really said that—while a debt ceiling and funding debate rages in Washington.
Jean-Pierre said:
Earlier this week as you all saw the US International Development Finance Corporation announced a $1 billion financial initiative to support conservation of the Ecuadorian Amazon. This is a result of the President’s recent trip to the Amazon and a continuation of the administration’s effort to support innovative ways to address climate change through sustainable growth and development…