Today, amid ongoing negotiations between the White House and House Republicans to raise the nation’s debt limit and avoid default, Earthjustice Vice President of Policy and Legislation Raúl M. Garcia issued the following statement:

“The most extremist House Republicans are playing political games with the livelihoods of millions of Americans. They are pushing radical and unpopular policies and spending cuts that would hamstring the effectiveness of the federal government, gut bedrock environmental laws, and inhibit our clean energy transition. Our government has a duty to meet its financial obligations, and our elected leaders — including House Republicans — are obligated to ensure that happens.

“Discussions on the debt limit should be only about the debt limit. They shouldn’t include discussions about eliminating the investments of the Inflation Reduction Act or ramming through unpopular permitting proposals that would greenlight harmful fossil fuel and poorly regulated mining projects, roll back environmental protections, and silence people from having a say in the projects built in their communities. It’s time for House Republicans to suspend or raise the debt limit — just like they did under former President Trump — and stop playing politics at the expense of people across this country.”