Lawmakers are in recess this week, giving everyone a chance to catch their breath before the summer push.
The House officially passed the Big Beautiful Bill (HR 1) this month. It now sits in the hands of the Senate, where it will not come out the same way it went in. While there were certainly many provisions we could support, such as those related to oil and gas leasing, we were disappointed to see the abrupt phaseouts of many clean energy tax credits.
We have spoken extensively about the need to take a measured approach to changes to the clean energy tax credits, many of which are essential to achieving American energy dominance. Earlier this year, we released a report detailing how, in order to meet demand affordably and reliably, the country needs a portfolio of all forms of energy. Prior to the House’s consideration of HR 1, we made the conservative case for clean hydrogen and discussed electricity tax credits on the Good Energy podcast.
Thank you to the many members of the House Republican Conference who advocated for the preservation of the clean energy tax credits. The Senate Republicans are not without their champions, and we look forward to their leadership as they consider this bill.
Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced the America the Beautiful Act earlier in May, building on 2020’s Great American Outdoors Act. The Great American Outdoors Act fully funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund, as well as addressed the nearly $20 billion maintenance backlog at our national parks and on other federal lands. The America the Beautiful Act will reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund through 2033 and increase maintenance backlog funding to $2 billion per year. ConservAmerica was a strong proponent of the original legislation, and we support Sen. Daines’ efforts in this updated conservation bill.
The Supreme Court issued a win for common sense yesterday, as they announced their unanimous decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County. The ruling addressed the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and reaffirmed that environmental reviews must focus on direct, foreseeable impacts within the approving agency’s jurisdiction. For years, NEPA has been weaponized to delay or block vital infrastructure initiatives rather than functioning as the procedural safeguard it was intended to be. Our full statement on the decision is here.
We’re grateful for your interest in ConservAmerica’s efforts. If our mission resonates with you, we invite you to consider supporting our work as we continue to champion conservative solutions for America’s environment.
That’s it from us this month! We’ll be keeping a close eye on the Senate, and as the warmer days approach, we hope you’ll be able to spend some time in the great outdoors!
