It didn’t even come down to a straw vote as President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning paper straws from federal use.
Trump signed the order Monday while vocalizing his disdain for paper straws, per the Associated Press.
“It’s a ridiculous situation. We’re going back to plastic straws,” Trump said.
The order instructs federal agencies to stop purchasing paper straws “and otherwise ensure that paper straws are no longer provided within agency buildings.”
The move targets a Biden administration policy to stop federal purchases of single-use plastics, including straws, by 2035.
Trump said Biden’s policy was “DEAD!” in a social media post over the weekend.
Trump said he didn’t think the move will harm marine life.
“I don’t think that plastic is going to affect the shark very much as they’re eating, as they’re munching their way through the ocean,’’ he said.
Christy Leavitt, plastics campaign director for the environmental group Oceana, said Trump’s order is “more about messaging than finding solutions.″
“President Trump is moving in the wrong direction on single-use plastics,’’ Leavitt said. “The world is facing a plastic pollution crisis, and we can no longer ignore one of the biggest environmental threats facing our oceans and our planet today.”
