The Polluters Over People Act rescinds several transformational climate programs Democrats enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act last year. It foolishly repeals the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which invests in high-impact projects that reduce pollution, create good paying clean energy jobs, and improve public health. It repeals the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, which protects the health of our communities and ensures that polluters – not taxpayers or customers – pay for wasted methane. It also repeals popular home electrification rebates that are specifically designed to lower energy bills for American families.
By repealing these programs, Republicans are doubling down on the same tired old pro-polluter policies. These policies have kept our country dependent on fossil fuels, which are expensive and volatile global commodities.
This legislation also hollows out our bedrock environmental laws to allow polluters to operate with reckless abandon. It provides blanket amnesty to polluting facilities while putting workers and communities at risk of catastrophic chemical disasters. It also undercuts key public health protections to expedite approvals for potentially toxic chemicals needlessly exposing families and children to health risks.
While Republicans continue to fight the energy battles of the past, Democrats delivered historic climate and clean energy wins last year with the Inflation Reduction Act. This law is already creating good paying, local jobs, cutting costs for working families, and building a homegrown clean energy system – all while tackling the climate crisis.
After making significant progress last year, we simply cannot go back. Fortunately, this bill stands no chance of ever becoming law. I’ll continue to oppose reckless bills like this one that value Big Oil companies over American families.
A New Grant to Support Primary Care Training
I was in Red Bank today with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Carole Johnson held a press conference today to highlight a grant I helped secure from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support the establishment of a new primary care medical residency program at community health centers in Monmouth County.
The VNACJ Community Health Center will use the $500,000 grant to design a new program for primary care doctors to train and work in Asbury Park, Keyport, Red Bank, and Long Branch. HRSA is an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and provides access to equitable health care with a special focus on low-income individuals.
