Statement: Budget Cuts To EPA Are Cuts to Climate Progress

Late yesterday, the Senate passed legislation to fund approximately 30% of the federal government for the next six months. The bill passed with a 75-22 vote just hours before the deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown. 

The legislation cuts the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) budget by nearly 10 percent – almost $1 billion – with approximately $745 million in reductions for cleaning up contaminated lands. The remaining 4% reduction could hinder the EPA’s ability to equitably administer grant programs as historic levels of climate funding roll out. 

In response to the passage of the budget legislation, Jessie Buendia, VP of Sustainability and National Director at Dream.Org issued the following statement: 

"The IRA is one of President Biden’s signature achievements, and it is intended to unleash hundreds of billions of dollars into the green economy. But that can’t happen if we keep bleeding the EPA dry. We need to increase their capacity to equitably administer these funds – not make cuts. The EPA is a critical player in allocating major grant awards from catalytic Inflation Reduction Act programs like the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a first-of-its-kind opportunity to increase access to green financing for disadvantaged communities.”

“The bottom line is that cuts to the EPA are cuts to climate progress. Communities need solutions to the environmental and economic challenges they face. The federal government has worked to build partnerships and ultimately deliver on its promise to take meaningful climate action. Now, we need bold leadership at the federal level to ensure climate solutions reach communities most impacted by poverty and pollution. We cannot let budget cuts slow them down.” 

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