Environment = who cares!!! It's not like our children breath the air, drink the water or want to see blue skies & sunsets....

The House of Representatives in the current Congress is the most anti-environment House in the history of Congress. So far this year, the House has voted 125 times to undermine the protection of the environment.


The House has not completed debate of H.R. 2584, the FY 2012 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, which some have called “the worst assault on clean air and water in history.” This legislation contains 39 new anti-environment riders and slashes funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Interior. This analysis includes the votes on H.R. 2584 taken on or before July 28th, 2011.

The anti-environment votes taken by the House include 20 votes to block actions to address climate change. These include votes to deny that climate change is occurring; to block EPA from regulating carbon emissions from power plants and oil refineries; to block EPA from regulating carbon emissions from motor vehicles, which also reduces oil imports; and even to eliminate requirements that large sources disclose the level of their carbon emissions.

The anti-environment votes include 31 votes to block actions to prevent air and water pollution. These include votes to block EPA from regulating mercury and other hazardous air pollutants emitted from cement plants; to relax emission requirements for offshore oil and gas activities; to stop EPA from establishing new water quality standards or enforcing existing ones; and to prevent EPA from protecting streams from the effects of mountaintop-removal mining.

The anti-environment votes include 33 votes to undermine protection for public lands and coastal areas. These include votes to slash funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund; to require oil and gas leasing off of the East and West Coasts; and to waive requirements for environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for offshore oil and gas activities.

And the anti-environment votes include 22 votes to defund or repeal clean energy initiatives. These include votes to overturn new, industry-supported energy efficiency standards for light bulbs; to cut funding for renewable energy projects; and to defund research into promising clean energy technologies.

Multiple federal agencies and statutes have been targeted by the anti-environment votes. Among federal agencies, the most common targets have been the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Interior: 50 votes targeted the Environmental Protection Agency; 24 votes targeted the Department of Energy; and 25 votes targeted the Department of the Interior.

Among federal statutes, the most common targets have been the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and NEPA: 28 votes rolled back or defunded the Clean Air Act; 16 votes rolled back or defunded the Clean Water Act; and 11 votes limited the application of NEPA.

The anti-environment votes were highly partisan. Of the 125 anti-environment votes, 104 were roll-call votes. On average, 96% of Republicans voted for the anti-environment position. In contrast, 84% of Democrats voted for the pro-environment position.