WASHINGTON, DC. - Donald Trump’s EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, is currently preparing to speak before Congress tomorrow about the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts to essential programs that protect the air and water that all Americans breathe and drink. If passed, the Trump budget would have enormous negative consequences for the health of all families in the United States.
If this budget passes, it will mean dirtier air and water, as its massive budget and staff cuts would hamper the implementation and enforcement of EPA’s bedrock protections and safeguards. It will eliminate funding for clean-up programs in places like the iconic Great Lakes, the Puget Sound, and the Chesapeake Bay, while vastly expanding drilling on public lands. It will end the Energy Star program, which saves consumers money, end the program that keeps dangerous diesel emissions away from kids’ schools, and end AmeriCorps and programs that connect kids with the outdoors. It slashes nearly all funding for climate action and climate science research -- and that’s just the start.
In anticipation of Pruitt’s testimony before Congress, Sierra Club Legislative Director Melinda Pierce released the following statement:
“Scott Pruitt has cemented himself as the most radical and irresponsible EPA administrator in our nation’s history, promoting polluter interests every chance he gets, and always at the expense of the health and safety of the American people. It’s clear that Pruitt’s entire approach to his job stands in fundamental opposition to the critical mission of protecting public health and the environment.
“From undermining and attempting to undo essential clean air and water protections, to backing massive budget cuts to the most vital public health programs, to serving as a lead voice for isolating America on the world stage by abandoning the Paris agreement, Pruitt has already done great damage to our country. Tomorrow’s hearing represents a rare moment where Pruitt will be confronted with the drastic consequences of his actions and indiscriminate budget cuts, as he is forced to answer questions from members of Congress.”
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