EDF President Fred Krupp Testifies on Beneficial Climate Investments

(Washington, D.C. – May 4, 2023) Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp today testified before the Senate Budget Committee about the climate- and public health-related benefits that House Republican leaders aim to undo as part of their debt ceiling plan.

“The House Republicans’ plan to tie the debt ceiling increase to repeal of critical Inflation Reduction Act provisions threatens our economy, our health and our clean energy future,” Krupp testified.

Krupp’s testimony focused on the proposed repeal of the Methane Emission Reduction Program in the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes investments to curb methane pollution and puts a price on emissions, incentivizing operators to deploy practical solutions to stop them. “It’s an illustrative example of the smart policies and tremendous opportunities that would be taken away by the House-passed bill,” Krupp testified.

If GOP lawmakers continue to refuse to raise the debt ceiling, the U.S. could default on its debt as early as June 1 according to recent reports. That would leave the government without money to pay the military, federal employees, and beneficiaries of programs like Social Security and Medicare, among others.

Krupp’s full written testimony can be found here.

EDF’s statement on the House Republican debt limit proposal can be found here.