The House Committee on Natural Resources conducted an oversight hearing today, focusing on the environmental agenda of President Joe Biden’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the agency's Fiscal Year 2025 budget request. Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) responded to the hearing with a critical statement: "The extremists in the Biden administration converted a once small and narrowly focused agency into an unchecked political leviathan that's weaseled its way into every corner of American life. President Biden has deputized the most extreme members of his administration to advance a radical agenda behind the shadowy curtain of CEQ, waging war on American energy, converting treasured national parks into migrant camps and locking Americans out of their public lands."
Established by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in the 1970s, CEQ was initially tasked by Congress with overseeing federal agency compliance with NEPA. However, under President Biden's administration, CEQ's role has evolved from merely overseeing NEPA compliance to being responsible for implementing his environmental agenda, transforming federal agencies into vehicles of social change and leading domestic energy production efforts.
This expanded scope has also led to increased funding requests. Over the years, CEQ’s budget remained relatively stable until it received a significant increase through the Inflation Reduction Act. From 2019 to 2023, CEQ’s baseline budget grew from $2.89 million to $4.67 million. Additionally, CEQ received $62.5 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to support environmental and climate data collection.
CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory describes her role as “focused particularly on addressing the environmental justice and climate change challenges.” The chief of staff at CEQ acknowledges that the responsibilities and powers that Biden has bestowed upon CEQ are “unprecedented.” Today's hearing provided an opportunity for members to question Mallory about actions taken by CEQ that greatly exceed its role and prescribed authority.
