Progressive groups renew push to oust Larry Summers from Biden campaign citing environmental concerns

Progressive organizations are again calling on former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign to oust Larry Summers from his advisory role, citing concerns over his stances on environmental issues. 

The organizations include the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, MoveOn and Oil Change U.S., as well as Justice Democrats and the Sunrise Movement — groups that have made similar calls in the past. 

“Larry Summers has consistently advocated for deregulation — cutting critical safeguards that protect people from corporate abuse,” the organizations wrote.

“He has a long track record of steering the U.S. government toward policies that prop up Wall Street at the expense of working people, from fighting efforts to regulate derivatives in the Clinton administration through mismanaging the fallout during the Great Recession,” they continued.

Several groups, including Justice Democrats and the Sunrise Movement, were part of a slate of organizations who sent Biden a list of demands hours after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) dropped out of the race. 

The renewed call to oust Summers shows these organizations’ refusal to let up on demands for a more progressive prospective Biden administration. 

In the most recent letter, the organizations noted Summers advocated for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and advised against a proposal from the administration to create green banks, financial institutions designed to finance low-carbon projects, reiterating concerns from their previous complaints. 

“Indeed, Larry Summers has done nothing but harm virtually every effort to address the inequitable impacts of climate change and pollution,” the organizations wrote.

The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new letter. 

Summers, a former Treasury secretary under President Clinton, was also a part of the Obama administration with Biden, where he served as director of the National Economic Council from 2009 to 2010 and worked on the economic stimulus measure after the financial crisis. 

He is one of several economic advisers to Biden. The campaign says the role is an informal, unpaid position.

Summers has been criticized by liberals and progressive groups throughout his career, including when he served in the Obama administration. He’s a former president of Harvard University and has also worked with hedge funds during his career.