|
Congress just took a chainsaw to the Environmental Protection Agency's operating budget in an effort to thwart climate progress. Tell your Senators and Representative to vote "No" on climate killing budgets.
Friend,
I have never been a fan of horror movies, I just can't take all the carnage. Which is why I have a hard time looking at Congress' budget for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): it makes those horror flicks look like a Disney cartoon.
Last month, House and Senate committees each passed bills to bleed EPA dry. The House plan would cut the spending to protect the planet by nearly 1 billion dollars.1 Worse yet, the House GOP budget includes a slew of climate killing amendments and riders that would block EPA from implementing new rules to cut global warming pollution, protect drinking water and more. If these budgets were a movie, it would be called, "Death By A Thousand Cuts."
It's all part of a broader GOP plan to prevent the EPA from doing its job by protecting the environment and public health. Since Republicans took control of the House in 2011, EPA's budget has been cut by 20 percent2 and the agency is experiencing its lowest funding level since 1989.
Congress gets back from recess next week, and they plan to bring both these planet busting budgets to the floor for a vote. Senate Democrats have threatened to filibuster any budget slashing bill, and President Obama has promised to veto many of these proposals.3 But to stop this scary movie from even making it to the theaters we need Congress to reject these bills before they reach the floor.
Can you contact your Representative and Senators this week and tell them to vote "No" on any appropriations bill that would slash open EPA?
The House Committee responsible for EPA's budget released a statement saying the cuts are necessary to, "Focus EPA's activities on core duties, rather than unnecessary regulatory expansion."4 I guess the committee has forgotten why Richard Nixon, a republican, created the EPA in the first place: To protect the environment and public health. And while GOP lawmakers continue plans to bleed EPA dry, they don't seem to have a problem giving Big Oil the equivalent of a blood transfusion: their budgets have also approved $38 billion a year in subsidies and tax breaks to the biggest polluters on the planet.5 That's more than five times the budget they want to set for EPA.
This is no time to be slashing up the people who fight for our climate. President Obama has made deals with China, India, the EU and other nations to reduce our emissions and take a leadership role in combating climate disruption. Not to mention that we are already seeing record heat waves, devastating floods and wildfires -- all fueled by the climate change our Congress is unwilling act on.
But there's hope: Congress is home this week for the 4th of July holiday. If enough of us contact them now, before they leave home for D.C., we can stop this climate killing double feature in both the House and the Senate. Click here to tell your lawmakers: Don't let EPA bleed out.
Thanks for taking (environmental) action,
Anthony and the Environmental Action EPA Budget Boosters
1. Overly, Steven. House Republicans To Hack Away At EPA Budget. The Washington Post. June 10, 2015.
2. Cousins, Farrow. Massive Budget Cuts Looming For EPA As Republicans Seek To Limit Rules On Air And Water Pollution. DeSmog. June 20, 2015.
3. Adler, Ben. Congressional Republicans: Damn The Environment, Full Cuts Ahead! The Grist. June 22, 2015.
4. Plautz, Jason. House Republicans To Take Hatchet To Obama's Environmental Budget. National Journal. June 9, 2015.
5. Oil Change International: Fossil Fuels Subsidies Overview.
|
