Commentary: Congressional Republican leaders have revealed— in bills moving now through the House and Senate—the fullest expression of the anti-environmental agenda they intend to aggressively pursue with majority control of Congress. And it’s a glaring example of ideology put into action that deserves much more attention than it has so far received.
They’ve launched a sweeping attack on decades of environmental progress by adding dozens of so-called riders to spending bills that would block virtually every advance to protect our air, water, land, wildlife and environment; stifle clean energy expansion; increase dependence on dirty fuels; sidetrack making our homes and businesses more energy efficient; and smother efforts to address the growing threat from climate change.
They’re doing all this with no positive proposals of their own to improve public health, safeguard the environment or fight climate change.
This ‘just say no’ philosophy – so out of step with the American public – will fail, but it raises the specter of another government shutdown. We hope you will draw attention to this emerging story.
Now you might think you’ve heard this all before.
Indeed, while Republican leaders have tried a rider strategy before, it’s of particular note this time because Republicans control both houses of Congress and are major health and environmental safeguards, notably the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan to limit power plant carbon pollution, and a Clean Water Rule protecting water supplies for more than 100 million Americans.
In spending bill after spending bill moving through the House—such as the interior and environment appropriations bill that could be on the floor this week—and Senate, (follow them here), Republican leaders have tucked in dozens of riders. These measures could, ultimately, win congressional approval. That sets the stage for a showdown later this year with the Obama Administration and another costly, damaging government shutdown.
The last shut-down, in 2013, according to Standard & Poor’s, cost the American economy $24 billion.
These riders have no effect whatsoever on the level of government spending. But they do take our country in the wrong direction. They would: block action on climate change; leave important wetlands and streams without protection under the Clean Water Act; limit protection of endangered species, encourage the government to buy dirty fuels; increase exposure to lead paint; impede clean energy advances; deter deployment of solar panels; sideline energy-saving light bulbs; allow continued pollution of streams from coal mining and mountaintop removal; and stop the Department of Defense -- one of America's biggest energy consumers and strongest supporters of moving to clean energy sources -- from trimming its energy use.
Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill that included a rider blocking the Clean Power Plan. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine was the only Republican opposing that rider, and is nearly the only Republican questioning, in any way, the deployment of riders to undermine the environment.
Other riders in that bill seek to eliminate funding for research on climate costs of extreme weather, the economic impact of rising sea levels and scientific reporting about the changing climate. One rider would even prohibit a salary for the Assistant to the President on Climate Change.
The unity among Republicans supporting them is nearly universal. But the riders are the face of an exclusively negative policy. As Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has pointed out, it’s impossible to discern a positive environmental agenda looking at the actions and statements of Republican leaders.
The breadth of the GOP attacks essentially reaches across every federal agency and department with a stop work order on environmental progress. NRDC is continuing to compile the ever-growing list of these riders and their sponsors, which can be found here: http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/2015-riders.asp
Not only is the GOP anti-environment agenda far reaching, it far out of the mainstream of public opinion.
The vast majority of Americans, many polls show, want cleaner air, land and water, better health protections, stronger environmental safeguards—and action to address climate change now.
That’s evident in this bipartisan poll. An overwhelming majority in this poll of Americans favor continuing federal tax incentives to support the growth of solar and wind power. Concerning climate change, nearly two-thirds in this recentYalepoll think global warming is happening and most believe that it is human caused.
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