Today, the United States House of Representatives passed its final appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). Over 20 environmental advocacy groups express their gratitude to the leaders of the House of Representatives for an appropriations package that protects public lands, wildlife, biodiversity, waters, coasts, oceans, and climate while prioritizing environmental justice.

Below is a joint statement from 350.org, American Hiking Society, American Rivers, Clean Water Action, Conservation Lands Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Elevate, Endangered Species Coalition, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Protection Network, Environmental Working Group, GreenLatinos, Kids for Saving Earth, League of Conservation Voters, National Parks Conservation Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Ocean Conservancy, Oceana, Sierra Club, Sierra Forest Legacy, and Voices for Progress:

“We thank House leadership for taking a critical first step towards delivering a budget that prioritizes environmental justice and robustly invests in the agencies and people safeguarding our climate, clean air and water, oceans, wildlife, biodiversity, public lands, and public health. House leadership also removed long-standing poison pill policies that undermined fundamental environmental laws and sound science.

“We would not be at this critical juncture without the leadership of Congressional champions such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro, and the chairs of the Appropriations subcommittees who recognize the magnitude and urgency of the environmental problems confronting our country and the world.

“We urge our Senate leaders to continue pushing for investments in our health, environment, and communities that meet or exceed these House bills and the President’s budget. Our families and communities need these investments more than ever because of unprecedented extreme weather, wildfires, and droughts fueled by the climate crisis, price gouging by oil and gas executives, long-standing environmental injustices, and other pressing emergencies like the extinction crisis. With the continued work of these champions, we can pass an FY23 budget that invests in the bedrock agencies and people we rely on to protect access to clean air, clean water, biodiverse ecosystems, public health, and a livable climate.”