Shannon Van Hoesen, shannon.vanhoesen@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC – After weeks of Republicans threatening to default on America’s debts for extreme cuts in spending and fossil fuel industry handouts, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and President Biden agreed to a deal to raise the country’s debt ceiling.
The deal will expedite the fracked gas Mountain Valley Pipeline by authorizing every permit, certificate, and analysis required by Federal environmental laws, mandating that the Army Corps issue a permit within 21 days of enactment, and attempting to preclude judicial review. The agreement needlessly undermines parts of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a bedrock environmental law. The deal also caps funding for agencies that protect our air, water, and the climate and will make it harder for those in need to get food assistance by expanding work requirements.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous released the following statement:
“The Sierra Club calls on Congress to reject this deal and swiftly pass a clean bill. Any deal that attempts to expedite the fracked gas Mountain Valley Pipeline, that rolls back bedrock environmental protections, and makes life harder for workers and families already struggling is a bad deal for the country. Congressional Republicans held America hostage while refusing to do the basic and fundamental work of paying America’s bills. We deserve better. President Biden committed – repeatedly – to doing better. Passing a clean debt ceiling is a simple and well-established approach Congress has employed – and should have done again months ago.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.