Sierra Club Statement on House Passage of H.R.7617 Appropriations Minibus

Washington, DC -- Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R.7617, The Fiscal Year 2021 Minibus II, which provides $210 billion in emergency funding to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, invests in the clean energy industry, and provides funding for vote by mail. The bill also will prohibit the Army Corps of Engineers from finalizing its Record of Decision for the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska.

In response, Sierra Club Deputy Legislative Director Kirin Kennedy released the following statement:

“We applaud the House for passing a funding package that prioritizes people, not corporations and polluters. This critical package provides much-needed support for communities bearing the brunt of the pandemic, worsened by environmental injustice, invests in the clean energy industry, which has been devastated by the pandemic, and funding for our democracy, ensuring Americans can participate in free and fair elections this November without risking their health or that of their families. We applaud House leadership for not only seeking to address fallout from the current pandemic, but looking towards a cleaner future with clean energy investments and the protection of climate science.”

Bill Highlights:

Energy -- Provides funding for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants and clean energy projects in low-income and underserved communities while clarifying the Department of Energy’s loan program to only be available for clean energy projects that avoid, reduce, or sequester air pollutants. It will also defund the Strategic Petroleum Reserve account to block federal funds from being used to store petroleum not owned by the United States.

Climate -- Prevents the federal government from rejecting grant applications should it include phrases such as “global warming,” “climate change,” or “sea level rise.”

Democracy -- Increases funding by $2,000,000 for the United States Postal Service (USPS) for USPS to carry out pilot programs to expand its current postal banking services to surcharge free automated teller machines, wire transfers, check cashing, and bill payment, and increases funding to the Election Assistance Commission to fund voter education campaigns to combat disinformation and to encourage political participation among youth.

Lands Protection -- Prohibits the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from finalizing the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Pebble Mine— a proposed gold and copper mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska, which would have disastrous social, environmental, and economic impacts.