Adam Beitman, adam.beitman@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC - On Thursday, House Democrats successfully pushed forward a package of appropriations bills for FY 2020 that increases funding for important public lands and environmental programs. It also includes major environmental victories, especially a one-year moratorium on new oil and gas leasing in the sacred Chaco Canyon. A series of successful amendments will also prevent the administration from using funds to drill in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and off the Gulf Coast of Florida, build roads through the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, and engage in a variety of other environmentally destructive practices.
The package, H.R. 3055, eliminates all of the anti-environmental riders that the fossil fuel industry, other polluters, and their allies have forced in over time. It also funds critical initiatives like the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which protects lands and recreation opportunities nationwide, as well as critical research and safeguards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are poisoning our communities.
In response, Sierra Club Deputy Legislative Director Kirin Kennedy released the following statement:
“We applaud House Democrats for taking vital steps to protect the long-term health and well-being of communities, and we urge the Senate to do the same and take up the House-passed versions of these bills as the process of funding our government moves forward.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million 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.