Sander Kushen, sander.kushen@sierraclub.org
MISSION VIEJO, Calif. – Early this morning, Rep. Young Kim (CA-40) cast the deciding vote to advance Donald Trump’s massive budget reconciliation package that would endanger California resident’s clean air and water, fast-track reckless oil and gas leasing and development, and raise costs on working families—all to give more tax cuts and handouts to billionaires and corporate polluters. With Kim’s vote the bill passed 215-214 and now heads to the United States Senate.
As currently written, the bill would repeal most Inflation Reduction Act clean energy tax credits, investments that Representative Kim expressed support for only a few months ago, defending how they will “continue to increase domestic manufacturing, promote energy innovation, and keep utility costs down.”
Final House language also includes “pay to pollute” provisions that would allow corporate polluters to pay a fee to skirt long-standing environmental laws, ends lifesaving health care coverage for more than 13 million Americans on Medicaid, raises the deficit by $2.3 trillion over a decade, and automatically triggers more than $500 billion in cuts to the Medicare program that senior citizens rely on.
The budget reconciliation package would be particularly devastating for Orange County, where Kim’s district alone has already seen $13.22 million in clean energy funding—funding that is now at risk of disappearing. This has directly benefited the local economy and created jobs: 20 HVAC companies and 13 solar companies in-district have benefited directly.
In response, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Acting Director Kim Orbe released the following statement:
“This bill is a disaster for working families here in California. It endangers our clean air and water, will devastate our growing economy and the jobs that are powering it, and open up our nation’s precious lands and waters to even more reckless oil and gas drilling—all to reward Trump and Kim’s billionaire buddies and corporate polluter pals. Rep. Kim should be ashamed of voting to subject her constituents to the dangers of this misguided bill. The people of Orange County have a right to clean air, clean water, and a safe and healthy future for their children and grandchildren. Kim’s deciding vote for this bill puts all of that at risk, and we will hold her accountable for today’s completely misguided vote.”
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.