WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Biden announced Wednesday plans to use executive power to address climate change because he says Congress is not taking action. He stopped short of a formal emergency declaration, something Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and a handful of other Democrats are asking for. 

"And if folks want to understand what that does, think about President Trump declaring an emergency on the southern border to allow him to move around billions of dollars to build a wall," Merkley tells KBND News, "Well, in this case, let’s move money around to build out the American-made manufacturing of solar panels and wind turbines."

KBND's Heather Roberts asked Merkley, "How do you respond to people who say this is really just a distraction from the concerns over the economy and 9.1% inflation?" Sen. Merkley responded, "We’re paying painful prices at the pump because we’re addicted to oil and we’re enriching the dictators in Russia and Iran. Why should we be enriching those dictators when, right now it costs 3 cents a mile to drive on electricity and 30 cents to drive on gas?"

He believes emergency funding could be used to bring down the cost of electric cars, solar panel production and wind turbines.