On Thursday,
the Democratic National Committee’s resolutions committee voted down a
resolution that would have established a climate debate for the
presidential candidates, reflecting the wishes of frontrunner Joe Biden.
However, the committee did open the door to candidates participating in
a non-DNC-sanctioned climate debate, a significant victory for the
youth activists leading the
call.
On Saturday, the full DNC voted that plan
down 222 to
137,
closing the door to any presidential climate debate.
DNC chair Tom Perez’s resolution to block a DNC climate debate passed the committee in an 17 to 8 vote.
At the DNC meeting in California, Biden spokesperson and DNC member Symone Sanders said it would be “dangerous” to hold a climate debate.
Mercury News’s Casey Tolan reported that Symone Sanders said a climate debate “would fundamentally change the game” of the established debate rules and would be “dangerous territory in the middle of a Democratic primary process.”
In June, Biden had expressed unequivocal support for a debate exclusively on climate.
DNC members opposed to holding a climate debate include corporate lobbyist and CNN commentator Maria Cardona of the Dewey Square Group, who said “It will take away time from their knocking on doors, going to all of your states to be able to campaign.”