GreenLatinos Condemns House Committee Vote on Interior Budget Bill

Strategic Insights -

GreenLatinos, a coalition of Latino leaders, has expressed deep concern over the House Appropriations Committee's vote to advance the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget bill. The bill proposes massive cuts to environmental protection and public health programs, threatening Latino communities who rely on these protections to survive environmental hazards and thrive economically and culturally.

Key Takeaways:

  • The bill includes a 23% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hobbling its ability to enforce environmental laws, monitor pollution, and protect public health.
  • The bill proposes a 62% reduction in water infrastructure funding, stripping communities of the tools needed to address aging water systems and increasing threats from contaminants.
  • The bill includes 72 poison pill riders that would eviscerate implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), expand oil and mineral extraction on public lands, block efforts to limit harmful hunting and timber practices, and enforce gag orders on agencies warning the public of cancer-causing pollutants.
  • The bill threatens 63 national parks and the broader network of public lands that generate $55 billion annually, mostly in rural communities, which support cultural tourism, jobs, and natural heritage critical for Latino and Indigenous communities across California and the West.
  • Funding for the National Park Service (NPS) is cut by over $200 million, on top of previous reductions and Congress' failure to reauthorize the Great American Outdoors Act.
  • The bill slashes over $200 million from the National Park Service (NPS) on top of previous reductions and Congress' failure to reauthorize the Great American Outdoors Act.
  • Funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is on the chopping block, with the Smithsonian facing a 12% cut.

Statistics:

  • 23% cut in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Source: "GreenLatinos Condemns House Committee Vote on Interior Budget Bill That Slashes Environmental Protections and Threatens Latino Communities")
  • 62% reduction in water infrastructure funding (Source: "GreenLatinos Condemns House Committee Vote on Interior Budget Bill That Slashes Environmental Protections and Threatens Latino Communities")
  • 72 poison pill riders included in the bill (Source: "GreenLatinos Condemns House Committee Vote on Interior Budget Bill That Slashes Environmental Protections and Threatens Latino Communities")
  • $55 billion in annual revenue generated by national parks and public lands (Source: "GreenLatinos Condemns House Committee Vote on Interior Budget Bill That Slashes Environmental Protections and Threatens Latino Communities")
  • Over $200 million cut from the National Park Service (NPS) funding (Source: "GreenLatinos Condemns House Committee Vote on Interior Budget Bill That Slashes Environmental Protections and Threatens Latino Communities")
  • 12% cut in funding for the Smithsonian (Source: "GreenLatinos Condemns House Committee Vote on Interior Budget Bill That Slashes Environmental Protections and Threatens Latino Communities")

Sources:

  • GreenLatinos. (2023). GreenLatinos Condemns House Committee Vote on Interior Budget Bill That Slashes Environmental Protections and Threatens Latino Communities.
  • https://www.greenlatinos.org/greenlatinos-condemns-house-committee-vote-on-interior-budget-bill-that-slashes-environmental-protections-and-threatens-latino-communities/