Hunger-Striking Climate Activists Bring Protests To Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, DC —President Joe Biden went to the House of Representatives Thursday, pleading with progressive Democrats to embrace the framework of a $1.85 trillion bill that would fund health, social and environmental programs.

Right outside the Capitol, four hunger-striking climate protesters in wheelchairs urged Democrats to "hold the line" and not pass legislation that is without the ambitious climate change programs originally in the bill.

The young Sunrise Movement activists — calling themselves Hunger Strike 4 Climate Justice —were in the ninth day of their hunger strike, which they are using to demand that the legislation include bold action on the climate. They have been joined by other climate protesters — some of them fasting in solidarity — during their strike.

"We've committed to not eating until you deliver on your climate commitments in the Build Back Better Act," the activists wrote in a letter to the White House earlier in the week, which was posted on social media.

In the letter, the group asked Biden to "stand up to Joe Manchin," the Democratic senator from West Virginia who has been an obstacle to several ambitious climate proposals.

The group, according to the HuffPost, is demanding Democrats help pass the full scope of the bill, including measures to reduce emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030, as Biden has pledged.

The HuffPost identified the group of young activists as Kidus Girma, 26, Paul Campion, 24, Ema Govea, 18, Julia Paramo, 24 and Abby Leedy, 20.

They now sit in wheelchairs because they have become too weak to walk. Girma was hospitalized over the weekend for nausea, dizziness and blurred vision, but returned to the strike. The group gets several health checks per day, and they regularly take their own blood pressure.

Leedy was missing from Thursday's protest, though the group said on social media that she was "on her way back."

On Tuesday, Leedy confronted Manchin as he left the White House, asking him: "Does fossil fuel money you've taken have anything to do with you blocking vital climate change legislation right now?"

Manchin insisted the Senate was "working on climate."

But Leedy continued to speak about the climate emergency, telling Manchin that if the U.S. doesn't pass legislation this fall, it could be too late.

"I'm going to grow up in a catastrophic climate emergency, if you continue to block the Civilian Climate Corps, the methane emissions, " Leedy said. "If the United States does not cut our emissions by at least 50 percent, I have to grow up in a nonstop climate emergency."

Manchin initially asked Leedy to call his office, and later asked her to visit his office.

Leedy eventually yelled to Manchin: "I want to live!"

The protesters have managed to catch the attention of others inside the walls of power.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked at a Wednesday news conference about Biden's response to the hunger strikers.

"Biden admires the activism," said Psaki, who called the bill "the biggest investment to addressing the climate in U.S. history."

In Congress on Thursday, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) referenced the protesters in a speech.

"Think of the Indigenous-led demonstrations last week (and) the five climate activists from the Sunrise Movement, who have been outside the White House on a hunger strike for nine days, and counting," Khanna said. "They are putting their lives on the line because they know that countless thousands will suffer and die if we continue on our current path."