On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to pass a final spending bill that made cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior. The legislation will head to a vote in the Senate before hitting President Trump’s desk.
The bill passed after a year of mass firings were conducted by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
“Congress lit the match by allowing Trump and DOGE to cripple the EPA’s workforce and now it’s pouring gasoline on the fire by gutting the agency’s budget,” Stephanie Kurose, deputy director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity, said. “This bill hands polluters exactly what they want and guarantees dirtier air, dirtier water, and more communities left unprotected.”
The bill reduces the EPA’s budget by 4 percent from the previous year, which brings the agency back to 2012 funding levels, according to a press release. The bill also made cuts to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget by 36 percent to bring it back to 2004 levels.
According to a press release, the Trump administration cut the EPA staff by 25 percent, which equated to more than 3,500 employees. Many believe this move has weakened the agency’s ability to protect public health and the environment.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service let go of 18 percent of its staff under the Trump administration, including more than 500 biologists and “a program in charge of determining which animals and plants deserve protection under the Endangered Species Act,” a press release reported. The Center for Biological Diversity said the cuts have had a negative affect on the research, restoration and management of wildlife habitats, including a backlog of more than 400 species awaiting consideration for protection.
“This isn’t just a budget cut—it’s American bumblebees, monarch butterflies and hundreds more species losing their last shot at survival,” Kurose said. “The Trump administration and this Republican-led Congress have been an absolute disaster for the natural world and future generations. Extinction is forever and we don’t have time for this nonsense.”
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