House passes GOP’s aggressively pro-pollution, anti-public lands energy bill

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1 - a bill number reserved for any incoming Leadership’s highest legislative priority -  which would gut NEPA community protections, give away public lands to Big Oil and mining companies, and allow corporate polluters more freedom to drill and mine in our communities without letting those affected have a say. The pro-polluter bill passed the House by a 225-204 margin, with Rep. Fitzpatrick (R) voting against it, and Rep. Gonzalez (D), Rep. Cuellar (D), Rep. Golden (D) and Rep. Gluesenkamp-Perez (D) voting for it.

Dubbed by opponents as the Polluters Over People Act, the bill is the product of House Republicans lumping together a myriad of harmful bills that emerged from committees over the last few weeks.  

The Polluters Over People Act makes it clear that House Republicans’ priority agenda is to undermine – and in some cases undo – the last Congress’ climate progress while eliminating opportunities for meaningful public engagement. The message is clear: House Republicans are letting the fossil fuel and mining industries control the U.S. House. 

The following statement is from Jamie Williams, President of The Wilderness Society: 

“We can’t afford to play politics with vital things like clear air, clean water, healthy lands and communities, and long-term energy security and independence,” said Jamie Williams, President of The Wilderness Society. “This polluter giveaway is a huge step back, despite the fact that the science, global markets and the people of this country are all saying we need to keep pushing forward. We need Congress to build on the significant climate progress we’ve already made, not give handouts to polluting industries at the expense of the climate and our communities.” 

Communities across the country are increasingly experiencing climate disasters while climate advocates, tribes and others on the frontlines of pollution and extreme weather are continuing to demand a swift transition to a just and clean energy future. They’ve both celebrated significant climate wins like the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act and fiercely opposed major losses, like the Biden administration’s formal approval of ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project, a 239 million metric ton carbon bomb in the Western Arctic.  

According to a recent CBSNews and YouGov poll, 71 percent of people want their representative in Congress to support efforts to fight climate change, with younger people (ages 18-29) most likely to say it should be a high priority for Congress to focus on. Even a majority (61%) of Republicans under age 50 want their representative to support efforts to fight climate change.  

This public pressure to meet our emissions and resilience goals while supporting communities – along with unequivocal science in the latest UN IPCC synthesis report that confirms a livable future is one without continued fossil fuel development – should be the underpinnings of new energy legislation.  

Despite these realities, H.R. 1, the Polluters Over People Act, includes a host of measures that would: 

• Repeal common-sense, long-overdue and hard-fought reforms to the onshore and offshore oil and gas leasing programs enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act that ensure oil and gas companies pay a fairer share to communities; 

• Speed up fossil fuel applications for permits to drill processes, as well as permitting on critical mineral mining operations, by curtailing environmental review and public input requirements; 

• Mandate quarterly lease sales in every state that holds oil and gas reserves; 

• Change federal law to make mining the priority use for public lands and constrict the public’s voice, including basic Tribal consultation principles and judicial review–existing protections that keep polluters from harming our health, safety, communities and treasured and sacred landscapes;  

• Undermine the fundamental purpose of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by radically limiting the scope of reviews by federal agencies and eliminate government accountability when agencies fail to adequately consider the health, environmental, or economic impacts of their decisions; 

• Weaken state and tribal authority to protect access to clean water under the bedrock Clean Water Act. 

The Polluters Over People Act aims to deepen the country’s reliance on fossil fuels, silence communities’ voices, and make it even easier for drilling and mining companies to exploit public lands. Furthering U.S. dependency on fossil fuels won’t actually solve the country’s security and energy issues. It will eventually make them worse. Relying on fossil fuels is dangerous, threatening our safety, health and national security.  

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For more information on the proposals included in H.R. 1, the Polluters Over People Act, read our reporter memo and contact Tony Iallonardo at newsmedia@tws.org