GOP Calls For EPA Cut?

In a bold move to rein in wasteful spending and push back against the Biden administration’s radical environmental agenda, House Republicans have introduced an appropriations bill that would slash the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) budget by 23 percent.

While the cut is significant, it’s still more measured than the Trump administration’s earlier proposal, which called for a 54 percent reduction. The GOP bill takes aim at specific areas of the EPA, including a 31 percent cut to its science and technology division and a 29 percent reduction in its environmental programs and management operations.

The proposal advanced Monday through the House Appropriations Committee’s Interior and Environment subcommittee along party lines. However, with Democrats still holding sway in the Senate due to the 60-vote filibuster threshold, some compromises may be necessary before final passage.

But the EPA isn’t the only agency in the crosshairs. The House GOP also proposes a 7 percent budget cut to the National Park Service—far less drastic than the Trump administration’s earlier proposal of 30 percent cuts to staff and operations. Additionally, a separate bill funding the Commerce Department includes a 6 percent cut to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), again showing a more measured approach than earlier plans.

The Interior-Environment bill also includes critical policy provisions aimed at dismantling overreaching Biden-era regulations. These include blocking the EPA from enforcing costly new emissions standards on vehicles and halting efforts to assess so-called “forever chemicals” in agriculture—chemicals which have long been part of modern manufacturing and farming practices.

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), who chairs the Interior-Environment subcommittee, said the bill was designed to “roll back burdensome regulations and unleash American energy and mineral development.” He added that the proposal reflects a return to commonsense governance that puts American jobs, energy independence, and taxpayers first.

Of course, Democrats pushed back. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), the subcommittee’s ranking Democrat, criticized the bill, calling the defunding of climate initiatives “a condemnation of future generations.” She also attacked the provisions related to PFAS chemicals, calling them “egregious,” despite growing concerns about regulatory overreach and its impact on American farmers and businesses.

With the nation still recovering from years of inflation, high gas prices, and bureaucratic red tape, House Republicans are sending a clear message: It’s time to scale back the green agenda and restore accountability in Washington.