House Republicans on Wednesday passed the final government funding bill before August recess, proposing steep cuts for the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget for fiscal year 2025. The bill’s funding levels called for an overall decrease compared to current spending levels, with a GOP summary outlining a 20 percent cut to EPA funding, cuts upwards of 8 percent for the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, while also eliminating funding for the Presidio Trust and slashing dollars for the Council on Environmental Quality. The annual Department of Interior and EPA funding bill passed 210-205 late Wednesday. Democrats have come out in staunch opposition to the measure over proposed cuts to the EPA and other areas like the National Park Service, the Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art. The bill’s narrow passage comes as House Republicans’ ambitious hopes of passing all 12 annual government funding bills by the August recess have crumbled. House leadership canceled votes on three other funding bills this week, including yanking one off the floor at the last minute Tuesday night, and announced Wednesday they would begin their annual summer recess a week early.
Before leaving for its August recess, the House passed 220 –196 H. Res. 1371 – Strongly condemning the Biden Administration and its Border Czar, Kamala Harris’s, failure to secure the United States border.
For today, the Senate continues to be in session and is considering the nomination of Kashi Way to be a Judge of the United States Tax Court for a term of fifteen years and a Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in House amendment to S.2073, with amendment #3021 (KOSA/COPPA).
