Congress is set to vote on a stopgap funding bill that provides $100 billion in disaster relief but omits conservation funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Andres Picon reports for E&E News.
In short:
- The funding bill offers $100 billion in disaster aid and $10 billion in assistance for farmers facing high costs and natural disasters.
- Roughly $14 billion in unspent conservation money from the Inflation Reduction Act was excluded, despite bipartisan support for its inclusion.
- Hard-line conservatives pressured House leadership to drop subsidies and conservation funding from the package.
Key quote:
“It’s almost like by leaving that [out], by not rolling it into the baseline, now it’s allowed to continue President [Joe] Biden’s New Green Deal.”
— Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.)
Why this matters:
The exclusion of conservation funding limits long-term investments in environmental initiatives. The $100 billion for disaster relief addresses immediate needs, but omitting conservation funds risks undermining climate resilience and sustainable agriculture efforts.
Related: FEMA faces potential funding shortfall amid increasing natural disasters
