Christopher Schuler, christopher.schuler@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC – Today, Republicans in the United States Senate voted to endanger public health, kill clean energy jobs and their economic benefits, and raise costs for working families and small businesses—all to hand big tax breaks to billionaires and corporate polluters. Despite widespread public opposition to the many dangers of the bill, H.R. 1 passed by a vote of 51-50, with JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote.
Amended heavily until minutes before it was voted on, the Senate bill would expand on- and off-shore drilling, end nearly all clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, gut fuel efficiency standards for cars, stifle industrial innovation, and give massive handouts to fossil fuel companies and polluters. The non-partisan CBO estimates that the bill will add $3.3 trillion in debt and result in more than 12 million Americans losing their health care coverage.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous released the following statement:
“Today, Senate Republicans advanced the most anti-environment, anti-job, and anti-American bill in history. This shortsighted plan will put lives at risk, endanger our growing economy, and raise electricity rates on families and small businesses. The proposal expands drilling on public lands and in the Arctic, guts cost-cutting clean energy investments and the thousands of stable jobs they’ve created, and includes massive giveaways to corporate polluters and the very wealthiest Americans. Though this process was flawed from the start, Sierra Club members and the American people made their voices heard, forcing the removal of flawed provisions that would have forced the sale of public lands and implemented an excise tax on wind and solar energy. But even with those important changes, a terrible bill is still a terrible bill and this proposal fails the American people in every measure.
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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.