Members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) who are on the House Natural Resources Committee rejected House Republicans‘ “scorched-earth plan to sell off American lands, waters and wildlife to fund cuts for billionaires.”
The SEEC is a coalition of 100 members of the U.S. House of Representatives that was founded in January 2009 to be a focused, active, and effective coalition for advancing policies that address climate change, promote clean energy innovation and domestic manufacturing, develop renewable energy resources, create family-sustaining clean jobs, protect our nation’s air, water and natural environment, and promote environmental justice.
While House Republicans stayed silent throughout almost the entire proceeding, terrified to defend their giveaways to polluters, Democrats fought for public lands and the American taxpayer. Members included Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee Rep. Jared Huffman of California and fellow SEEC members Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Julia Brownley of California, Maxine Dexter of Oregon, Debbie Dingell of Michigan, Sarah Elfreth of Maryland, Val Hoyle of Oregon, Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico, Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island, Dave Min of California, Darren Soto of Florida and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico.
“Republicans just rammed the most extreme, anti-environment legislation in American history through the Natural Resources Committee. It’s a billionaires-first, Americans-last giveaway to benefit Big Oil and polluters. It guts clean air and water protections, slashes funding for our national parks, and sells off, auctions off and even allows for giving away our public lands to special interests. For the first time, Americans who simply want their voices heard on Big Oil projects on federal land will be slapped with fees for daring to protest,” Huffman said.
According to Huffman, House Republicans not only voted for the extreme bill, but refused to participate in any public debate or discussion.
“I’m sure they had plenty of discussion with their corporate polluter puppet masters, but in the only public hearing before this bill goes to the House Floor they refused to even discuss it. The American people deserve better policy and process than what they’re getting from this GOP Congress. I’m proud that Democrats showed up and fully engaged in debating and challenging this terrible bill. We fought back. And we’ll keep fighting for Americans’ basic freedoms, which include clean air, safe water, healthy communities and a livable planet for future generations,” Huffman said.
Ansari said the budget gimmicks will increase profits for Big Oil, pay for CEOs and dividends for shareholders at the expense of American public lands and taxpayers.
“We should be caring about the everyday Americans who are going to be suffering from the consequences of these decisions for years. Our constituents, who are already facing a climate crisis with heat wave after heat wave, who are getting sick from the pollution released by coal-fired power plants and petrochemical facilities next door, all compounded by threats of serious cuts to Medicaid healthcare coverage,” Ansari said.
Brownley called the Republican bill package “the most egregious attacks on our public lands, our waters and our health that we have ever witnessed. It hands over our national parks, forests and precious natural resources to oil and gas corporations, putting their profits over the safety and well-being of the American people.”
While America‘s wealthiest polluters will receive giveaways, Brownley said, American families will pay higher energy costs, breathe dirtier air, drink dirtier water and suffer more frequent environmental disasters.
“This is the same ‘polluters over people’ agenda that has defined the Trump Administration, where corporate greed comes first and the American people pay the price. This Republican proposal will add billions to the deficit while selling off our environment, our economy, and our future to the highest bidder. This bill is shameful, and the American people deserve better,” Brownley said.
Dexter said she offered amendments ranging from blocking funds to agencies that refuse to comply with the courts to stop oil and gas drilling near schools and hospitals. Her amendments demand House Republicans choose Americans or American polluters.
“Instead of advancing a budget that helps address the challenges Americans are confronting, House Republicans are combining the most extreme attack on our nation’s natural resources with enormous cuts to Medicaid, Social Security, and other critical programs working families depend on every single day. We should be focusing on expanding public access to federal lands, not auctioning them off. And we should be investing in our National Parks System and National Wildlife Refuges, not making it harder for Americans to visit these special places. This bill doesn’t put Americans first — it gives massive handouts to pad polluters’ pockets with no regard for the environment,” said Dingell, who just joined colleagues in forming the first House Public Lands Caucus.
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Rebecca Barnabi
