House Republicans’ Funding Bills Would Harm Our Air and Water

WASHINGTON — This week the House marked up five funding bills that would dramatically cut funding for federal agencies that protect our air and water and are tasked with reducing the pollution impacting our health, our climate and the severity and frequency of extreme weather, like Hurricane Beryl. House Republicans’ funding bills propose slashing EPA funding to 1998 levels, Department of Energy clean energy programs by 43% and NOAA funding by 11%, and collectively include over 50 harmful environmental provisions that do not belong in funding bills.

“Most of us want clean air and water, healthy communities and a stable climate,” said Environmental Defense Fund associate vice president for political affairs Joanna Slaney. “But House Republicans’ proposed funding bills would undermine essential health protections, cut investments in clean energy and prevent federal agencies from doing critical work, including holding polluters accountable. They’ve also proposed harmful policy provisions that have absolutely no business being included in funding bills meant to keep our government operating on behalf of every American. These bills are not the starting point to any reasonable negotiations. Congress should reject these proposals and begin work on real solutions that improve people’s lives.”

The House Appropriations Committee marked up the Interior-Environment; Energy and Water; Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies; Agriculture-FDA; and Transportation and Housing and Urban Development funding bills.