Climate Advocates Criticized GOP Funding Bill Slashing $721 Million Interior Department’s Budget!

Climate advocates are expressing strong criticism towards the GOP funding bill proposed by the Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee.

Climate Advocates Criticized GOP Funding Bill Slashing $721 Million Interior Department’s Budget! (PHOTO: BBC)

Why Climate Advocates Criticized GOP Spending Bill?

The bill, set for mark-up on Wednesday, includes drastic cuts to U.S. climate spending, reducing the Environmental Protection Agency‘s (EPA) budget by a significant 39%. At the same time, it promotes fossil fuel development, disregarding the devastating heat waves and extreme weather conditions impacting large parts of the world, that’s why climate advocates criticized the spending bill, Common Dreams reported.

Kyle Jones, the director of federal affairs at the Center for Policy Advocacy of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) climate advocates, described the Republican bill as “historically bad” and the worst of its kind ever seen. Jones condemned the legislation, stating that it reads like a manual on how to destroy the planet. He criticized the proposed cuts in environmental funding at a time when the nation faces record-setting extreme heat and wildfire smoke, describing it as scientifically ignorant and driven by reactionary politics.

The GOP’s funding bill includes $4 billion in total cuts to the EPA budget, impacting critical programs such as clean water funds and emissions-reduction grants. The Interior Department’s budget would also face a $721 million reduction. Additionally, the bill removes the Gray Wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife and restricts the EPA from considering the social cost of carbon in any regulatory actions.

Climate advocates are alarmed by the bill’s attempts to bolster the fossil fuel industry. The legislation mandates at least two offshore oil and gas lease sales each year in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska by the Interior Department. The NRDC argues that these provisions will have devastating impacts on both the climate and communities, calling it a slap in the face to the millions of Americans enduring heatwaves and floods.

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Climate Advocates Challenge!

Furthermore, House Republicans’ appropriations bills propose painful cuts across the federal government, eliciting opposition from congressional Democrats and raising concerns about the likelihood of a government shutdown, Head Topics reported. The bills not only affect climate-related agencies but also target education and infrastructure projects, potentially hampering urgent public works initiatives across the country.

As the markup progresses, climate advocates and congressional Democrats continue to challenge the proposed cuts, emphasizing the urgency of addressing climate change and investing in sustainable solutions to mitigate its effects on communities and the environment.

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