Sierra Club Hails Biden’s First Budget Proposal

Biden’s Request Includes Largest Investment in Environmental Justice Ever, Expands Key Climate Action, Equity, Healthcare and Pandemic Preparedness Funding 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Biden formally submitted his first budget request to Congress. The request takes as its starting point the urgent imperative to address four interlocking crises facing the nation: “a historic global pandemic; an economy battered by recession; the generational crisis of climate change; and persistent inequities in the economy and Nation.”

Biden’s budget includes major new climate change investments — an increase of more than $14 billion compared to 2021 — across nearly every agency to invest in resilience and clean energy, enhance U.S. competitiveness, and put America on a path to achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050. These investments are guided by Biden’s plan to ensure that 40 percent of the benefits from tackling the climate crisis are targeted toward addressing the disproportionately high cumulative impacts on underserved communities, and come alongside critical new funding for Environmental Justice programs at the Environmental Protection Agency. 

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

“In life and in government, there is no purer expression of someone’s priorities than their budget. By that standard, President Biden’s first budget demonstrates that he is a champion for environmental and climate justice, protecting our public lands, securing our democracy and ensuring clean air and water for communities nationwide. 

“This budget funds key priorities that will benefit everyone in the United States and makes important advances in reversing inappropriate austerity measures.

“We urge Congress to quickly deliver on President Biden’s mandate for bold investments in government and in climate and environmental justice by processing and passing this budget into law.”