Biden Budget a Win for Public Health and the Environment

“President Biden’s budget proposal is an ambitious blueprint for climate action and economic recovery. It’s a sign that he intends to use a whole-of-government approach to restore American leadership, protect public health, promote environmental justice, create jobs, and address the climate crisis.

“The President’s budget increases critical funds for rebuilding capacity at federal agencies and marks a return to science-based public health policies. It prioritizes investments in clean energy research and development, advances electrification of our transportation fleet, and ensures critical environmental protections to help bridge the gap in communities that are impacted first and worst by air pollution.

“Releasing a strong, climate-focused budget on the heels of the American Jobs Plan reaffirms the Biden administration’s commitment to boldly investing in and funding the agencies and programs that can deliver President Biden’s vision for a net-zero emissions by 2050.”

Some highlighted environmental and climate wins include:

• $11.2 billion for EPA, an increase of $2 billion (or 21.3 percent) from FY21 enacted levels
• $46.1 billion for the Department of Energy, and increase of $4.3 billion (or 10.2 percent) from FY21 enacted level
• $25.6 billion for the Department of Transportation, an increase of $317 million over total 2021 enacted funding
• $6.9 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an increase of over $1.4 billion from FY21 enacted level
• $1 billion for a new Advanced Research Projects Agency — Climate, to commercialize emissions-reducing new technologies.
• $550 million to clean up abandoned mines and oil and gas wells
• A $540 million increase (to $815 million) to incorporate climate impacts into pre-disaster planning and projects, plus $1.2 billion for climate resilience.
• $600 million to fund electric vehicle charging infrastructure at federal agencies

“The fight against climate change will require a massive mobilization of climate finance from a wide variety of public and private sources. A significant US contribution to global climate finance — including, where appropriate, to the Green Climate Fund — along with a credible and ambitious national target of emissions reduction under the Paris Climate Agreement, will be key to re-establish US global leadership on climate. Climate change is a global problem, and we have an opportunity and responsibility to help drive solutions around the globe, and in doing so we can also promote American values and create jobs here at home.

“The previous administration’s attacks on environmental enforcement and public health protections risked the air we breathe. The budget proposal President Biden has submitted provides the opportunity for us to work together to ensure that critical federal programs that protect American families from pollution have the resources needed to continue their missions and solve the climate crisis. Congress should follow the president’s lead by enacting the clean energy, climate, and public health investments the president is proposing”