By Brad Johnson | February 16, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Think Progress’s Brad Johnson wrote a post today outlining the consequences for climate change, energy policy, and environmental protection resulting from dozens of the over 400 amendments offered on the House government-funding measure, the 2011 Continuing Resolution (H.R. 1). The existing language in the budget bill is already designed to deny global warming, slash and burn public health, and squash green jobs. But the amendments would take even more radical steps to reward polluters who are killing our children’s future.
Republican amendments, if fully enacted, would:
- Eliminate the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the special envoy for climate change, the assistant to the president for energy and climate change, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Service, the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, and National Science Foundation K-12 funding
- Block U.S. funding for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Global Environment Facility
- Suspend enforcement of fisheries laws and construction and conservation acquisition programs of the National Parks and Department of the Interior
- Block rules for cement plant pollution, coal ash, industrial boiler pollution, water quality, climate change pollution, climate change adaptation, energy-efficient lighting, mountaintop removal, atrazine, and water conservation
Most of these amendments are budget neutral. In other words, they don’t lower the deficit one cent. Several defund extremely effective jobs programs that cost only a few million dollars. The goal of these amendments is not fiscal responsibility or jobs creation, but polluter protection, even though the pollution is poisoning babies, causing the elderly to suffer, and destroying America’s natural bounty.
Meanwhile, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) has proposed amendments to eliminate billions in dollars in Big Oil subsidies, reduce the deficit, and restore funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the National Institutes of Heath. Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) offered amendments to defend America from the threat of global warming pollution, and Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) proposed amendments to take $66 million from fossil energy research and development and put it into green energy programs.
Brad Johnson is the Climate Editor at American Progress.
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