States to lose billions in funding to advance clean energy, curb climate change under President Trump’s 2020 budget

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Jeff Shaw, jeff.shaw@sierraclub.org, 503.551.3615

WASHINGTON -- The Trump Administration released the president’s detailed 2020 budget proposal this week, which includes deep cuts to virtually every program in government that protects Americans from environmental threats. The Administration is proposing outrageous cuts to departments and programs that fund state work to advance clean energy, protect air and water, and support low-income families. In 2018, the Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded nearly $44 billion to the states and Puerto Rico.

Important programs, like the Low-Income Housing Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), were once again eliminated from the budget as countless families across the country suffered some of the coldest winter weather seen in decades. Programs like LIHEAP play a critical role in helping families pay energy bills during times of extreme weather, which is why legislators on both sides of the isle support these programs. Details on how many families in each state benefit from this program can be found HERE.

Meanwhile, Trump is asking Congress for an enormous increase in unnecessary military spending, as well as $8.6 billion for a border wall after just losing a government shutdown fight over exactly the same issue. Trump’s cuts come just a year after the Republican party’s $1.5 trillion tax cut giveaway to the richest people and corporations in the country.

Bill Corcoran, the Sierra Club’s Director of State Strategies, issued the following statement:

"The president's Department of Energy budget trades away investing in clean, affordable energy to enrich fossil fuel polluters and leave everyday Americans to deal with the pollution and climate change impacts caused by oil, gas, and coal. Making it even worse, his budget simultaneously abandons the EPA's ability to protect Americans from just such threats to public health and the environment. The consequences will be felt in every region of America. Congress needs to pass a budget that truly reflects what the American people need and want: clean air, clean water and clean power."

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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.