The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled what it called the single largest spending on an “environmental justice” project, with $2 billion in Environmental Protection Agency grants from the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act.
The announcement comes amid a government spending feud on Capitol Hill, where House Republicans are proposing to slash such climate justice funding — a major part of President Biden’s climate change agenda — by half.
The $2 billion tranche is part of a $3 billion pot appropriated by the IRA and is the latest in a series of smaller announcements. This funding round will go to disadvantaged communities overburdened by pollution for climate resiliency, improving air and water quality, clean energy, and mitigating health risks from heat and wildfires.
“At EPA, it is our privilege and greatest responsibility to ensure that all people in this country, no matter the color of their skin, the community they live in or how much money they have in their pockets, have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink and the opportunity to live a healthy life,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan told reporters on a press call.
However, the money could be in jeopardy, even as administration officials race to get it out the door.
House Republicans’ annual funding bill for the Interior Department, which includes the EPA, looks to claw back $1.4 billion of the IRA’s $3 billion set aside for its climate justice program. The program is one of several “misguided policies” from the law, the House Natural Resources Committee said, which crafted the spending cuts.
“This responsible fiscal legislation trims wasteful spending while upholding conservative policies that will broadly impact rural communities, hunters and anglers, farmers and ranchers, and ultimately save money for the American taxpayer both in government spending and in reigning in programs that are driving up inflation for everyone,” said Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, Arkansas Republican.
Gutting environmental funding is a nonstarter for Democrats and Mr. Biden, a significant policy disagreement with Republicans that is one of many to be negotiated before government funding deadlines in January and February.
House Democrats say Republicans’ proposal “exacerbates environmental discrimination against rural and poor communities.”
Mr. Regan expressed confidence the money won’t be stripped.
“For far too long, too many communities have been left out,” he said. “So, I have no doubt that the president, Senate members and House members will be as diligent fighting to keep these resources as they were fighting for these resources.”
With Tuesday’s announcement, the EPA has now revealed plans for about 75% of the IRA’s environmental justice funding, according to a Washington Times analysis of data provided by the agency.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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