President Joe Biden waited 789 days in office before issuing his first veto, and it could be significant in terms of both retirement savings and future investment choices.
The veto, delivered on March 20, prevented the repeal of a Labor Department rule that allows retirement fund managers to consider the impact of climate change and other environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations when selecting investments, according to CNN.
Common Retirement Savings Strategy
Congressional Republicans spearheaded the repeal campaign, alleging that the rule is a “woke” policy that will harm retirement savings. Democrats have argued that the rule is not motivated by ideology, but rather by the desire to protect and enhance retirement funds.
According to USA Today, ESG investment is intended to consider a company’s environmental and social risks as part of a broader financial examination. It is a popular tactic among large pension funds.
According to Politico, the Labor Department rule in question aimed to overturn a Trump-era policy that prevented retirement plan managers from adding ESG concerns into their investing decisions. Managers in the Biden administration are permitted but not obligated to incorporate ESG into their initiatives.
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Lawmakers Vote To Repeal The Regulation
Earlier this month, Senate Republicans and a few Democrats voted on a resolution to reverse the regulation.
The bill was approved with a simple majority, thanks to the support of Democratic Senators Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, both of whom are up for re-election this year in reliably conservative states. Last month, the Republican-led United States House of Representatives passed the legislation.
According to the president, he signed the veto due to Congress passed legislation that would jeopardize the retirement savings of individuals across the country, and they failed to consider investments that would not be impacted by climate change and overpaying executives, which is why he decided to veto it.
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