Sierra Club Hails Passage of Bold House “Minibus” Funding

WASHINGTON D.C.-- The House has passed an historic “minibus” of seven appropriations bills for funding the U.S. government next year, encompassing a wide range of domestic policy areas with major implications for the environment and communities nationwide. 

In response, Sierra Club’s Deputy Legislative Director for Public Lands and Wildlife, Kirin Kennedy, released the following statement:

“Thank you House Democrats and Democratic Leadership for making unprecedented, historic investments in our climate, communities, jobs, and environmental justice so we can build back better across the whole of government. 

“With this bill, Democrats are correctly prioritizing major long term investments in our transportation, housing, and infrastructure in an effort to ensure all Americans’ have increased access to the outdoors, and affordable, clean transportation, energy, and water.

“The Sierra Club and our more than 4 million members understand this is our moment; we don’t have time to waste. This bill brings us one step closer to ensuring an equitable and sustainable future for our children and future generations.”

MORE DETAIL ABOUT GAINS IN TRANSPORTATION, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION,  ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, IN THE MINIBUS APPROPRIATIONS BILL

Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development increases

• Doubles investments in passenger and freight rail, expands port infrastructure programs by about a third, and emphasizes safety at the FAA. 

• Targets assistance to areas of persistent poverty and provides $100 million for a new Thriving Communities Initiative, ensuring that regional planning efforts focus on promoting equity, environmental justice, and resilient infrastructure.  

• Invests in resilient, clean, multimodal transportation and supports green housing through improving energy and water efficiency.

Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Increases

• Provides $100 million for Climate Change and Resiliency Projects, which is $86 million above the FY 2021 enacted level, and $100 million above the FY 2022 budget request.

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations increases 

• Includes major investments to clean up pollution and protect human health and the environment. 

• Provides $11.4 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, the highest funding level in the agency’s history. This bill boosts Superfund spending by 27 percent and will accelerate the pace of cleanup of toxic chemicals from the country’s most contaminated site

• Provides $4 billion for grant programs to make drinking water and sewer system improvements, remove lead from our taps, improve air quality, and strengthen our recycling infrastructure. 

• Invests $4 billion in Indian Affairs programs, including an additional $180 million to address climate change impacts.

Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee Increases 

• Includes $300 million for a new Electric Vehicles Fund, $100 million for GSA to manage climate change risks, and over $1 billion to modernize and improve the GSA real property portfolio by reducing climate impact and improving resiliency.

Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee increases

• Provides critical funding for water infrastructure and clean energy

• Key Investment in this bill include. 

• The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) receives record funding of $3.7 billion, $906 million above enacted.

• Weatherization programs receive $398 million, $83 million above enacted.

• ARPA-E receives $600 million, $173 million above enacted.

• The Office of Science receives $7.32 billion, $294 million above enacted.

• The Army Corps receives $8.6 billion, $1.9 billion above the budget request, to support our nation’s water infrastructure.