WASHINGTON — President Biden on Thursday pledged $500 million to fight deforestation in Brazil and more than $1 billion to help developing countries transition away from fossil fuels and become more resilient to the impacts from climate change. …The $500 million would be delivered over five years and make the United States one of the largest donors to the Amazon Fund, a conservation program. …Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming, noted that the chief of the U.S. Forest Service recently testified that there is insufficient funding to manage forests in America. “Why are they now sending half a billion U.S. taxpayer dollars to Brazil for theirs?” Mr. Barrasso asked. “The higher priority would be to take care of our own resources first.” …With Republicans now controlling the House and Democrats holding just a slim majority in the Senate, winning approval for additional money for things like the Amazon Fund will be an uphill battle. [A New York Times subscription is required to access the full story]