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A new bill would slash funding for the Department of the Interior.

Here's why it matters.

Katie Porter

Nov 10

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Did you know House Republicans recently passed a bill that would slash funding for the U.S. Department of the Interior by 35%?

I know, not the Friday news you wanted to hear. But it’s important to understand what Republicans are attempting to do here, even if it didn’t make front page news.

First off: The Department of the Interior plays an important role in helping us combat the climate crisis. It’s tasked with keeping our water and air clean, national parks open, and can hold polluters accountable.

Republicans’ appropriations bill slashes the department’s funding by 35%, and here are the specifics:

This bill would SELL our public lands to fossil fuel companies. Public lands are just that–public. They belong to all of us, and should be used to benefit all of us. But Republicans want to hand this land to their Big Oil friends and give them licenses to drill. It gets worse. This same bill would prohibit clean energy. It’s simply all bad for the environment.
It cuts national park funding by 13%. I love national parks–they provide families like mine with low-cost opportunities to take a vacation and enjoy the outdoors. They allow us to preserve our nation’s land, and they support local economies. There’s no good reason to cut this funding.
It zeroes out funding for environmental justice funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) (the IRA is the big piece of legislation Democrats passed in summer 2022, which made record investments in protecting our environment). We must address environmental racism, and this is a step backwards.
And finally, this bill prohibits funding for a new Museum of the American Latino, simply denying Americans the opportunity to learn about the contributions of the Latino community in the U.S.

Look, this bill is just a lot of GOP BS. Luckily, there will still be negotiations as we work to get budget bills that will pass in both the House and Senate. But this is what Republicans will do if they regain control of the Senate and White House in 2024.

For our planet, we’ve got to hold them accountable.

Katie Porter

PS: I don’t take a dime from Big Oil CEOs. Or corporate PACs. Or federal lobbyists. I’m committed to protecting our environment, and any donation you can make will help me do so.

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