Rep. Johnson defends environment against Republican assault on clean air, water

July 25, 2011

Congressman Johnson: Bill is ‘nothing more than an attempt to remove 40 years of federal laws that protect our seas, air, land, and wildlife’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and the Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition (SEEC) held a mini-filibuster on the House floor today to protest the interior appropriations bill (H.R. 2584, FY 2012 Interior-Environment Appropriations Act) because it makes dramatic cuts to environmental programs and changes long standing policy for the betterment of polluters.

"This bill is nothing more than an attempt to remove 40 years of federal laws that protect our seas, air, land, and wildlife,” said Johnson.

To watch Rep. Johnson’s floor speech, click HERE.

Just a few of the egregious elements of H.R. 2584, FY 2012 Interior-Environment Appropriations Act:

► Slashes EPA by 18% below FY 2011, including slashing the Clean Water State Revolving Fund by 55 % below FY 2011. 

► Cuts Interior Department by 7%, including cutting the Land and Water Conservation Fund by 78 Percent.  

► There are at least 38 anti-environmental policy riders in the bill, including:

Extinction Rider: Blocks any money to be spent to implement such crucial sections of the Endangered Species Act as listing new species and designating habitat critical to a species’ survival.

Grand Canyon:  Assaults the iconic Grand Canyon, a national treasure, by blocking protections for more than 1 million acres of land around the Grand Canyon, leaving them open to toxic uranium mining.

Cross-State Air Pollution: Prohibits EPA from implementing the just-finalized Cross-State Pollution Rule, which protects communities from dangerous pollution from power plants upwind of them.

Mercury Pollution:  Indefinitely stops long-overdue standards to control toxic mercury air pollution from power plants, endangering pregnant women, infants and children.

Undermining Clean Water Act: Blocks the Administration’s ongoing work to clarify which waters remain protected by the Clean Water Act – potentially endangering drinking water sources.

Oil Savings and Carbon Pollution from Motor Vehicles:  Blocks EPA from moving forward with standards for new vehicles after 2016 that would reduce our foreign oil imports and cut pollution.

Carbon Pollution from Stationary Sources:  Requires a one-year delay of EPA regulations on carbon pollution from power plants, refineries and other large industrial stationary sources.

Offshore Drilling:  Allows oil companies to pollute more when drilling offshore by weakening the Clean Air Act and exempting polluting support vessels from regulation.     

For more on the riders, click HERE.