Murray, Merkley, DeLauro, Pingree Demand Answers on Illegal EPA Funding Cuts That Harm Public Health, Environment, and Families
Washington, D.C. – Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), and House Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Chellie Pingree (ME-01) demanded recently confirmed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin answer urgent questions about funding freezes at the agency.
The letter to Administrator Zeldin follows President Donald Trump’s illegal executive orders that stopped funding for programs that families and communities depend on, such as access to clean drinking water and affordable clean energy, and ongoing efforts to block access to federal funds in communities across the United States.
“The Trump Administration’s memo freezing vast swaths of federal funds, its failed attempt to clarify the scope of the memo, and its subsequent rescission of the memo have created mass chaos and added to the confusion about what investments are currently being blocked. Today, our understanding is that much of the Agency’s funding is still frozen, but some select programs may resume in the near future. Yet let us be clear – all of EPA’s funding must be made available and disbursed pursuant to the law with no exceptions,” the senior members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees wrote.
“Funding freezes – which the administration intentionally implemented before court intervention – devastate programs that protect public health and the environment while increasing costs for families,” the lawmakers continued. “The Trump Administration will be raising energy costs for families and businesses will be losing out on thousands of potential jobs as programs like Solar for All and Clean School Bus rebates are terminated. Continuing to freeze these investments—or permanently blocking them—will unravel critical progress the Agency has made towards clean air and clean water and cost American households and businesses dearly.”
“Not only does the Constitution vest the power of the purse with Congress and provide no power to the President to impound funds, but there have been several bedrock fiscal statutes enacted to protect Congress’ constitutional power of the purse and prevent unlawful executive overreach, including the Antideficiency Act and the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA). The ICA prohibits any action or inaction that precludes Federal funds from being obligated or spent, either temporarily or permanently, without following the strictly circumscribed requirements of that law, which have not been honored in this instance,” the lawmakers stressed.
Full text of the letter can be found HERE.
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