WASHINGTON - House Republican appropriators today released their spending bills on issues related to energy, public lands, water, and the environment, and comprise a multi-front assault on America’s air, land, water and public health, said Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee. Meanwhile, the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill restores $55 million in oil and gas subsidies.
The Interior and Environment Appropriations proposed bill would, among other provisions:
* Cut the Environmental Protection Agency budget by $1.8 billion;
* Cut the Fish and Wildlife Service budget by 30 percent from the president’s 2012 budget;
* Places a one-year ban on EPA’s lawful ability to reduce global warming pollution;
* Eliminates funding for new Endangered Species Act listings;
* Overturns existing limits on uranium mining near the Grand Canyon.
The Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations proposed bill would, among other provisions:
* Cut the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration budget by 18 percent from the president’s 2012 budget;
* Eliminate funding for NOAA’s climate service.
“These proposed spending plans comprise a multi-front assault on America’s air, public lands, water and clean energy future,"said Rep. Markey. “This isn’t a budget that helps the American people, it’s a bludgeoning of our environment to benefit polluters."
