The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing a $ 528 million cut to its funding under the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill reported out of committee July 18. While Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee expressed disappointment in the deep cut, it could have been worse.

The Trump administration’s budget request, released in late May, proposed EPA funding of $ 5.655, a cut of $ 2.345 billion. In contrast, the House bill would fund EPA at $ 7.5 billion, a level Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) says “will ensure that the agency is able to fulfill its core duties while streamlining the agency and reshaping its workforce.”

Dems Sneer at Funding Cuts

The other side of the aisle had a very different take on the EPA funding level in the bill, saying that $ 7.5 billion in funding is not only inadequate, it is all but certain to tank the bill entirely. “It is outrageous to think that Republicans would threaten another government shutdown rather than work with Democrats to enact government funding bills even though they know any legislation will require Democratic votes to become law,” Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.)…

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