House Bill Would Slash Public Health, Clean Energy Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Appropriations Committee today completed its markup of a funding bill that would cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget to dangerously low levels. The proposed cut of 39% would reduce the agency’s funding to its lowest level since 1991. The Republicans' proposal includes unprecedented cuts to numerous programs designed to combat climate pollution and protect public health. It could soon head to the floor of the House of Representatives for consideration.

“President Biden’s historic clean energy plan investments lay the foundation for building a clean energy future that will reduce harmful pollution, improve our health, make us more energy secure, reduce energy bills, create jobs and heal the planet,” said Elizabeth Gore, Environmental Defense Fund’s senior vice president for political affairs. “We’re already seeing significant benefits across the U.S. We cannot allow Republican leadership to interfere with this progress.

“Republicans’ proposed budget would eliminate or roll back popular programs and investments that are lowering household energy costs and cutting climate pollution. It makes no sense. Every state is poised to gain clean-energy jobs, and some of the politicians touting the jobs created by these investments are the ones looking to take away funding.”

Republicans’ budget proposal eliminates funding for advancing justice in communities that bear the brunt of legacy pollution and climate change. It also includes poison pill policy riders that slow down climate progress, block clean energy measures and undermine clean water.

The extreme Republican appropriations bill, which falls outside of the negotiated debt limit deal, proposes significant cuts from President Biden’s historic clean energy plan investments, hampering implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The bill aims to remove $7.8 billion from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which creates jobs and supports historic investments for low-income and overburdened communities, and $1.4 billion to address environmental health impacts in communities overburdened by pollution. The proposal also aims to cut funding for toxic chemical review programs by an alarming 15%, undermining a critical public health program.