House Approves Significant EPA Budget Cut, Boosts Domestic Energy Production
The House has passed an appropriations bill that would significantly reduce the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and promote energy and mineral production on public lands. The bill, which faces a potential veto from the White House, would cut EPA funding by 39% compared to the previous year, returning it to 1990s levels. It also includes provisions to repeal certain EPA actions, such as the Waters of the United States rule, and restricts the agency from imposing greenhouse gas emissions reporting and permitting requirements for livestock emissions. The bill also provides a reduced budget for the Department of the Interior (DOI) and its subagencies, with funding cuts for the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service. It aims to increase oil and gas lease sales, critical mineral production, and limit the use of the Endangered Species Act to restrict resource extraction on public lands.