House Appropriations Committee Votes to Roll Back Funding for Clean Energy Progress

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Appropriations Committee this week advanced bills that would undermine the nation’s climate goals and energy needs by funding government agencies below levels agreed to during the recent debt limit negotiations. These drastic rollbacks would raise energy costs for families and harm public health.

“President Biden’s clean energy plan is delivering for American families by creating good jobs, reducing harmful pollution and driving down the cost of clean sources of energy,” said Elizabeth Gore, Environmental Defense Fund’s senior vice president for political affairs. “House members supporting these bills are working against the progress we’re making and against the interests of their constituents.”

With disregard to the debt limit agreement struck by Speaker McCarthy and President Biden, House Republicans formally adopted topline cuts of 35% for the bill funding the Department of the Interior and EPA, and 30% for the bill funding USDA and FDA. They also advanced dramatic rollbacks to clean energy plan programs including the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program, Assistance for Latest and Zero Building Energy Code Adoption and State-Based Home Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants.

The proposed cuts to DOI and EPA would reduce overall funding by more than one-third from FY 2023 levels, gutting critical clean air and public health programs. If the 35% spending cut is applied equally across agencies included in the bill, these cuts would represent EPA’s lowest funding levels since at least 1996.

The House Republicans’ proposal would rescind historic investments in rural energy projects and gut agricultural research and technical assistance programs that farmers and ranchers rely on to innovate their operations. Taken together, these cuts represent the lowest funding levels for USDA since 2007 and would harm rural Americans trying to make a living while dealing with the impacts of climate change.

The rollbacks also aim to undo popular provisions of President Biden’s clean energy plan, like rebates for energy-efficient heat pumps, electric stoves, heat pump dryers and insulation. These rebates help Americans save money on energy bills, upgrade to clean energy equipment, improve energy efficiency and reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution. DOE estimates that the historic home energy efficiency and electrification consumer rebates will save households up to $1 billion annually.