Republicans are furious that the Biden administration is focused on banning disposable plastic cutlery while wars rage and the “world is on fire.”
Earlier this month, the White House announced a plan to phase out the use of single-use plastics in government buildings.
According to the government, the plan will also impose stricter regulations on plastic manufacturers in the US.
Republicans say the “laughable” measure will “raise costs” and hurt U.S. plastics suppliers, calling it absurd and likely to backfire.
“The world is on fire and he’s worried about plastic forks,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told DailyMail.com, adding that the policy is “normal” for the administration.
President Joe Biden’s administration announced a plan for the U.S. government to phase out the purchase of single-use plastics. The directive will force government locations, such as military bases, to find alternatives to plastic utensils and other disposable products.
The Biden administration’s plan aims to ban the purchase of single-use plastics starting in 2027
“Look, I certainly understand that plastic is a pollutant, we need to do a better job of it,” Rounds continued. “But I’m a little hesitant to say that this plastic ban is going to be a good thing.”
“Black-and-white mandates like this usually backfire. I think there are things we can do as a government, but also as individuals, to continue to improve our environment.”
Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) told DailyMail.com that Biden’s effort is “absurd” and “laughable.”
“I mean, first of all, what’s so bad about plastic forks and spoons? I mean, I would imagine the biggest impact of this is going to be on government workplaces, military bases, that sort of thing,” speculated Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.
“Does that mean they have to have stainless steel cutlery everywhere, lots of people doing the dishes, and what are they going to do with people who need stuff?”
He said efforts to phase out single-use plastics are misguided and that if the White House really wants to reduce waste, it should shrink government and consumers, rather than banning plastic as a consumed product.
“They should shrink government if they want it to be less of a consumer. The reason it’s the biggest consumer is because it employs so many people and does so many things it was probably never meant to do.”
“So if they want to reduce the impact of the U.S. government on the environment, they have to change the size of the government.”
Lee continued: “I hope this is not a step towards a ban, such as a public ban with general application.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said solving plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is an urgent problem, but expressed skepticism about the ban.
“Well, I would like to tackle the problem of plastic in the ocean. But I’m not sure this is the answer,” he told DailyMail.com.
The ban would affect federal cafeterias like the one on Capitol Hill, pictured above during a pro-Gaza protest in April 2024
The government’s new plan aims to ban plastic utensils in government buildings by
A cashier looks at a sign that reads “Plastic Bags Ban” at a grocery store in New York City on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Many types of plastic bags will be banned in New York State starting March 1, 2020 in an effort to reduce pollution
The plan’s main goal is to phase out the use of single-use plastics for food, packaging and events purchased by the federal government by 2027.
The goal is to eliminate all forms of single-use plastic from the federal government by 2035.
“It’s more of a message and ridiculousness, and it’s a direct attack on that entire industry,” Senator James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, told DailyMail.com exclusively.
“It’s also clearly not where everyone is. It’s going to increase costs for a lot of people, so it just seems irrelevant to deficit issues.”
Lankford, who served in the House from 2011 to 2015, recalled an earlier attempt to ban plastic tableware on Capitol Hill, noting that attempts to ban the products are typically rolled back by new administrations.
The controversial decision to ban plastic spoons, forks and more sparked outrage among Republicans years ago, when former Speaker Nancy Pelosi first banned them in 2007.
When Republicans regained control of the House later in 2011, they scrapped the deal, citing the nearly half a million dollars spent on providing compostable utensils as the reason.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi banned plastic utensils in the U.S. Capitol from 2007 to 2011, before Republicans seized power and overturned the rule, Sen. Lankford noted.
Military bases would also be affected by the ruling, Senator Mike Lee speculated
“We’ve been through that here at the Capitol, as you know, when Speaker Pelosi said we wanted to have edible cutlery everywhere. Everybody loved it, until they started using it and realized you eat your spoon too and it didn’t taste good,” Lankford said of Pelosi’s 2007 “Green the Capitol” initiative.
Pelosi’s plan introduced biodegradable utensils on Capitol Hill, but was rejected by Republicans in 2011.
Styrofoam cups and plastic forks returned to Capitol cafeterias after the GOP, led by former Speaker John Boehner, retook the chamber.