Biden Spends Waning Days Of Presidency Dishing Out $1,000,000,000 To Preserve Amazon Rainforest

President Joe Biden’s administration is dedicating $1 billion to preserve the Ecuadorian Amazon as a means of addressing climate change, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Friday.

The president traveled to the Amazon Rainforest in mid-November to announce the United States’ pledge to increase U.S. international climate finance to over $11 billion a year by 2024, according to the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Brazil. While areas of the U.S. are still suffering from hurricane damages, the press secretary announced that the United States International Development Finance Corporation allocated the $1 billion to “support conservation” of the Amazon, just one month after the president’s trip.

“Earlier this week, as you all saw, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announced a $1 billion financial initiative to support conservation of the Ecuadorian Amazon,” Jean-Pierre said. “This is a result of the president’s recent trip to the Amazon and a continuation of the effort to support innovative ways to address climate change through sustainable growth and development without burdening countries facing financial constraints.”

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Americans in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas have faced devastation as a result of Hurricanes Helene and Milton in October. The press secretary said during an Oct. 7 briefing that the administration allocated over $200 million to people impacted in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene hit landfall, and argued the president awaited Congress’ approval to provide more financial relief.