Extreme MAGA Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill Sets Stage for MAGA Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Republicans passed the Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill, which is chock-full of riders and cuts that will harm working families, LGBTQ+ Americans and kids by codifying impunity for anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, gutting clean water programs and cutting job programs for disadvantaged communities. This bill is so extreme and filled with partisan poison pills that it will almost certainly not pass the Senate, putting our country one step closer to a MAGA Shutdown.

“It’s abundantly clear this new MAGA Speaker is going full throttle to pass extreme and deeply unpopular cuts to programs millions of Americans rely on, cuts he knows will push our country closer to a MAGA Shutdown,” said Zac Petkanas, spokesperson for the House Accountability War Room. “This bill proves once again that instead of delivering for working families, extreme House Republicans are more interested in attacking LGBTQ+ people and cutting critical programs that benefit kids and low-income families. It’s time this MAGA Speaker and his extreme followers stop choosing their extreme ideology over the American people.”

The Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill:

Codifies Impunity for Anti-LGBTQ+ Discrimination: “Notwithstanding section 7 of title 1, United States Code, section 1738C of title 28, United States Code, or any other provision of law, none of the funds provided by this Act, or previous appropriations Acts, shall be used in whole or in part to take any discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially, on the basis that such person speaks, or acts, in accordance with a sincerely held religious belief, or moral conviction, that marriage is, or should be recognized as, a union of one man and one woman.” [Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, H.R.4821, Sec. 482, 7/24/23]
Guts Clean Water Programs: “$2.58 billion for State and Tribal Assistance Grants, $1.9 billion below 2023. Within this amount, the bill includes: $995.6 million for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, $1.77 billion below 2023. This includes $880.5 million in Community Project Funding for 767 clean water, drinking water, wastewater, and storm water management projects across the country leaving only $115 million for other projects in the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving funds. $1.51 billion for Infrastructure Assistance Grants, $1.82 billion below 2023.” [House Appropriations Democrats Press Release, 7/19/23]
Cuts Jobs Programs for Disadvantaged Communities: “The Republican bill cuts programs in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) by $9.4 billion. These cuts include $7.8 billion from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund which supports investments for disadvantaged communities and the creation of high-paying jobs.” [House Appropriations Democrats Press Release, 7/19/23]

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About the House Accountability War Room

The House Accountability War Room is an independent rapid response operation led by veteran war room strategist Zac Petkanas. The war room will leverage research, deploy messaging and engage partners to hold House leadership accountable as the caucus moves to take away core freedoms, distort the truth, and put the profits of corporations above the wellbeing of working families. houseaccountabilitywarroom.com