Recent negotiations between President Biden and Speaker McCarthy produced a debt ceiling bill called the “Fiscal Responsibility Act” that amounts to a boon for the fossil fuel industry and a dirty deal for the public.
Instead of simply passing a bill that will allow our country to pay its bills, this dirty deal forces the U.S. Army Corps to permit completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline natural gas project within 21 days and prohibits judicial review of the project. It also guts core environmental protections, like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), hamstrings agencies, shrinks social safety nets, and harms communities.
If this dirty deal passes, it would weaken one of our most important environmental laws, NEPA, and gut key protections that communities have relied on for decades to protect themselves from irresponsible polluters.
The stakes are enormous for everyone and especially for already-vulnerable communities across the country. If these industry giveaways remain attached to the debt ceiling bill, it could mean greater exposure to oil spills, gas leaks, air pollution, and water pollution, all of which could have significant public health implications, including increased risks of premature death.
It is possible for America to ensure its debts are paid without locking in dirty energy projects and sacrificing the health of our communities and planet.
