November 30, 2022
| The Honorable Patrick Leahy Chairman Committee on Appropriations U.S. Senate Capitol S-146A Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Richard Shelby Vice Chairman Committee on Appropriations U.S. Senate Capitol S-128 Washington, DC 20510 | The Honorable Rosa L. DeLauro Chairwoman Committee on Appropriations U.S. House of Representatives Capitol H-307 Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Kay Granger Ranking Member Committee on Appropriations U.S. House of Representatives 1036 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515 |
Dear Chairman Leahy, Vice Chairman Shelby, Chairwoman DeLauro, and Ranking Member Granger:
On behalf of our tens of millions of members and supporters across the country, we respectfully request that you support significantly increased funding for environmental agencies and programs in the FY23 omnibus. We also ask that you reject any anti-environmental policy riders, including those carried forward from prior funding bills.
We support the FY23 bills that the House approved this summer, and similarly appreciate many of the funding increases in the draft Senate bills as well as the omission of harmful riders. In the omnibus, it is particularly important that Congress meets the House allocation of $44.8 billion for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. While multiple subcommittees provide for critical environmental work, an inadequate allocation for the Interior bill would uniquely hamper the nation’s efforts to promote environmental justice and protect our health, lands, wildlife, air, water, oceans, and climate.
Also of critical importance is the need to reject harmful anti-environmental policy riders. These damaging provisions have no place in the appropriations process and over the years have contributed to significant and avoidable environmental degradation. We urge you to keep anti- environmental provisions out of the FY23 omnibus, whether they are new this year or carried forward from previous appropriations bills.
Funding in FY23 must go further than merely keeping pace with inflation, providing for current services, and restoring lost capacity. The Interior bill received a 4.6% increase last year following a decade of insufficient funding imposed by the draconian spending caps of the Budget Control Act. That increase was less than the rate of inflation and below the average increase of 6.7% across all nondefense discretionary spending in FY22. It translated to little-to-no practical increase for many critical environmental programs. Funding these crucial programs will create good-paying union jobs and revitalize our communities while reducing harmful pollution, promoting environmental justice, and protecting public lands, oceans, and wildlife.
Under your leadership, Congress has an historic opportunity to make a genuine difference in the lives of the public by securing a more just and prosperous future for all and protecting the health of our planet.
We again urge you to pass an omnibus spending bill this December with a robust allocation to the Interior and Environment subcommittee well above inflation. We also urge you to refrain from including anti-environmental policy riders.
We thank you for your consideration of our views and stand ready to support you in meeting this request.
Sincerely,
| 350.org Alaska Wilderness League American Bird Conservancy American Hiking Society American Rivers American Society of Landscape Architects Appalachian Trail Conservancy Change the Chamber Chesapeake Climate Action Network Clean Water Action Coalition to Protect America's National Parks Conservation Lands Foundation Continental Divide Trail Coalition Defenders of Wildlife Earthjustice Earthworks Elevate Endangered Species Coalition Environmental Defense Fund Environmental Law & Policy Center Environmental Protection Network Environmental Working Group Evergreen Action Friends of Acadia Friends of Dyke Marsh Friends of the Earth Friends of the Inyo GreenLatinos Sierra Foothills Audubon Society Sierra Forest Legacy Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance The CLEO Institute The Wilderness Society | Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition Hip Hop Caucus Hispanic Access Foundation Hispanic Federation Impact Fund Interfaith Power & Light International Inbound Travel Association Kids for Saving Earth Lassen Forest Preservation Group League of Conservation Voters Los Padres ForestWatch Michigan Sustainable Business Forum National Audubon Society National Ocean Protection Coalition National Parks Conservation Association National Wildlife Federation National Wildlife Refuge Association Natural Resources Defense Council New Progressive Alliance Ocean Conservancy Ocean Defense Initiative Oceana Pacific Crest Trail Association Pacific Environment Partnership for Policy Integrity Partnership for the National Trails System Rachel Carson Council Shenandoah National Park Trust Sierra Club Union of Concerned Scientists Voices for Progress Waterway Advocates Western Watersheds Project WildEarth Guardians |
Cc: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy
Senate Interior Subcommittee Chairman Jeffrey A. Merkley
House Interior Subcommittee Chairwoman Chellie Pingree
Senate Interior Subcommittee Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski
House Interior Subcommittee Ranking Member David P. Joyce