Biden administration ‘all talk, no action’ on extreme heat: Ruben Gallego

Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) slammed President Joe Biden ’s administration for what he believes is a lack of action against extreme heat.

The news comes as Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra met with Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) in Phoenix to discuss extreme heat, calling it a “public health crisis."

“Once again, the Administration is all talk, no action when it comes to extreme heat in Arizona — calling on Arizonans to do more yet refusing to take an active role or acknowledging the work that Arizona’s federal leaders, including myself, have already done,” Gallego said in a statement .

“When hurricanes or tornadoes hit, federal officials offer resources, but with heat they just offer advice,” he continued.

Gallego has been an avid supporter of protections for those working in extreme heat. Earlier this summer, the Biden administration proposed heat-related protections that would require employees to have indoor or shaded areas to rest out of the sun and breaks for water.

Gallego’s House district encompasses parts of Phoenix, Arizona’s largest city, which has experienced spikes in heat-related illness and death.

There was an 84% increase in heat-related deaths in June in Maricopa County, with 162 suspected to be heat-related and 13 confirmed to be heat-related over the same time last year. Heat-related deaths have risen 700% in Maricopa County in the last 10 years.

Last July, every day of the month in Phoenix, save one, featured a temperature over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, which was the hottest month ever recorded in a city in the United States.

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“For years, I’ve been leading the way on extreme heat," Gallego said. "I was the first to introduce legislation to add extreme heat to FEMA’s list of major disasters and have written legislation to fund urban heat mitigation projects. And, I have repeatedly voted for more LIHEAP funding to help pay for AC bills while also pushing for a formula that is more fair to Arizona. I’m doing everything I can to ensure Congress does its part, it’s past time the Administration does theirs.”

Gallego will face off against Republican Kari Lake in Arizona's consequential Senate race this November.