WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Chair of the Senate Western Caucus, introduced five amendments to the appropriations bill that prioritize western states and roll back the Biden administration’s outrageous Green New Deal policies.
“For far too long, the Biden administration has catered to climate extremists inside the D.C. beltway by passing radical environmental policies at the expense of the American west,” said Lummis. “This administration’s systemic failures have unnecessarily raised energy prices for consumers at a time when families are already struggling due to record-breaking inflation and spent billions of taxpayer dollars on laughable environmental causes while the national debt continues to skyrocket. Families across Wyoming and the west should not be funding this administration’s unhinged environmental agenda and my amendments will roll back its harmful policies.”
Senator Lummis introduced the following amendments to the minibus to protect the west:
- Protects consumers by ending unnecessary environmental regulations that raise energy prices
- This amendment prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) from promulgating or finalizing rules unless it is determined that the rule in question will not raise consumer prices.
- Defunds U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) “eco-grief” counseling
- This amendment prohibits the use of public money to fund “eco-grief” training to employees reportedly struggling with a changing environment at a time when our national debt has exceeded $34 trillion and we need to cut unnecessary government spending.
- Prohibits funds for the Gray Wolf National Recovery Plan
- In February, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected two petitions to list gray wolves in the western United States.
- Instead of accepting this decision, the administration has once again appeased its environmental base by creating a national recovery plan for wolves.
- This amendment reminds this administration that many western states have done an excellent job managing their own wolf populations by prohibiting the use of funds for developing or implementing a proposed national recovery plan for gray wolves.
- Blocks the Biden administration’s Endangered Species Act (ESA) reform
- In August, Senators Lummis and Capito (R-WV) led a letter to FWS highlighting their concerns with the Biden administration’s proposed changes to the ESA. This was followed up in September with legislation to block these rule changes from taking effect.
- This amendment prohibits the use of funds to finalize these three rules.
- Ensures cash will be accepted in National Parks
- Last year, Senator Lummis introduced the Protect Access to Recreation with Cash (PARC) Act, which requires the National Park Service to accept cash as a form of payment for entrance fees.
- This amendment prohibits the use of funds to carry out cashless entrance fee policies at NPS units
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