03.27.19

Democrats Call Out Trump Budget Cuts to Critical Climate Change Programs at This Morning’s Hearing With Top Interior Budget Official

Washington D.C. – During today’s full Committee hearing on the Trump administration’s budget proposal, Democratic members of the Natural Resources Committee questioned Scott Cameron, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget at theDepartment of the Interior (DOI), on why President Trump wants sweeping cuts to critical climate change programs. This year’s Trump administration budget proposes a roughly 14 percent cut for the DOI budget, including key programs that focus on climate change.

“Republicans forced massive tax cuts for the super-rich through Congress when they had unified control of the federal government last year. Now they turn around and claim we don’t have enough money to protect the environment, and that’s ridiculous on its face,” Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said today. “Climate change should be front and center in the work the Department of Interior is doing. Unfortunately, the Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress refuse to take climate change seriously no matter how many floods, droughts and wildfires our country faces.”

Committee Democrats released a budget impacts fact sheet on Medium today as part of their ongoing Watchdog series. Today’s post details the cuts to DOI programs that study or mitigate climate change.

Chair Grijalva and Committee Democrats hosted a historic series of hearings focused on climate change impacts throughout the month of February, and continue to hold the Trump administration accountable for worsening our climate crisis through negligence and unnecessary budget cuts.

Also at today’s hearing, Cameron could not explain internal DOI emails, originally sent earlier this month, ordering administration officials to limit responses to information requests from either Chair Grijalva or any senator. The first such email was dated March 14, the day before the publication of Acting Secretary David Bernhardt’s hearing date to be confirmed as Secretary of the Interior. 

Hearing media highlights

Watch livestream: bit.ly/2U0SzgP 

Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmC15ipP

Chair Grijalva remarks: https://youtu.be/-jkQ2xUy_TU

Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) remarks: https://youtu.be/KztwElSzxkQ

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