Rona Fried & Annette McGee Rasch

We were so happy to see the Biden Administration follow through on several issues environmental groups have been fighting for: banning lead bullets, banning mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and Finally directing the Bureau of Land Management to focus on protecting the 248 million acres of public lands it oversees for wildlife as well as opening them to extractive industries.

So, what did House Republicans immediately do? They passed bills to reverse all of it.

And, to top it off, they passed Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) anti-wolf bill to permanently remove wolves across the US from the Endangered Species List. More on all this below.

The bills won’t go anywhere in the Democrat-controlled Senate, but it makes clear how Republicans view anything that benefits environment and wildlife.  They are fully in the hands of extractive industries and farming/ranching lobbyists.

Biden vs Trump On Climate

BIDEN Passed the Inflation Reduction Act – the largest piece of climate legislation ever which: Invested hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy and manufacturing  Created 271k green jobs (and counting!) Provides billions of dollars in rebates to help households transition and cut energy costs Created the American Climate Corps to train the next generation of clean energy and conservation workers Rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement and led new global efforts to tackle methane and super pollutants Invested billions of dollars in public transit  Passed the strongest-ever EPA rule on car emissions ensuring a majority of new cars are zero emissions by 2032 Created the Justice40 Initiative to ensure disadvantaged communities share in the benefits of a green transition

TRUMP Called climate change a hoax (and thinks wind turbines cause cancer) Picked fossil fuels lobbyists to head the EPA and Dept of Interior Almost half of his nominees to these agencies had fossil fuel ties Pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement (and is promising to do it again)  Rolled back over 125 environmental rules that protected public health, clean air and clean water Gutted regulations on power plant pollution  Rolled back clean car standards, which increased pollution and raised fuel costs for families Tried to eliminate the EV tax credit and other green credits and rebates Promises to repeal the IRA, scrap new pollution rules, and increase our reliance on fossil fuels

And they don’t stop there. As the Biden Administration moves to protect 13 million acres in Alaska, the House will reverse that. They will even reverse a regulation that bars mining companies from disposing tailings in our waterways!

Then there’s energy efficiency – can’t have too much of that! The House passed legislation to prevent stronger energy efficiency standards for a range of home appliances – the easiest way to cut greenhouse gas emissions, while reducing costs for families. “It is time to fight back against the radical agenda set by the Biden administration,” said Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) 

Incredibly, the Republican majority in the House passed the Refrigerator Freedom Act (H.R. 7637) and Stop Unaffordable Dishwashers Standards Act (H.R. 7700), which blocks the Department of Energy from increasing the efficiency of those appliances!

Appropriation bills for fiscal 2025 are stacked with riders for anything related to environment:

• severe cuts to Clean Energy programs and cuts funding for the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy in half
• eliminates the pause on even more liquefied natural gas export plants (greenhouse gas bombs!)
• open various federal lands to mining
• supercharges onshore and offshore drilling
• repeals the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and methane fee
• permitting bills that make it harder for states to block pipelines and for environment groups to sue to stop energy projects.

Wolves Are Being Senselessly Slaughtered

The environmental community has been fighting to protect Wolves since they were stripped of Endangered Species protection by a rider in the 2011 federal budget bill. Through the courts, they have won back protection in all states except for the eastern areas of Oregon and Washington State and Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The latter states are in the midst of an all-out war on wolves, killing them in the most heinous ways even deep in wilderness areas. Environmental groups are suing again, to put those wolves back on the Endangered Species List.

That’s not good enough for Boebert. Her ‘Trust the Science Act’ bill removes wolves across the US from endangered species protection AND prohibits citizens from going to court to reinstate protection.   

Wolves are absolutely critical for healthy ecosystems. They rarely kill cattle. They have tight families and deserve to live!!

Will We Ever Get the Lead out?!!

After the Biden administration issued a national ban on lead bullets and lead fishing equipment on federal lands or waters, the House passed the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act to block it.

Environmental groups have long pushed for this ban because of the danger of ingesting lead to people and wildlife. Eagles, Condors and many other birds die when they eat game poisoned by a lead bullet – the same for loons that eat fish contaminated by lead fishing gear.  

Millions of animals, attracted to gut piles left behind by hunters die an excruciating slow death from lead poisoning. Eagles, ravens, water birds, bears, raccoons, fox, coyote, wolf, opossums, skunks and more are routinely killed. Meanwhile, hunters and anglers who care about conservation have long-maintained that non-lead ammunition and fishing tackle works just fine.

Read more about lead bullets.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Finally Prioritizes Wildlife Protection on Public Lands

BLM, part of the Interior Dept, oversees the majority of our public lands in the US and until now, has prioritized mining, drilling and grazing. That finally changed with new regulations that put conservation on par with extractive activities.

In a nod to corporate extractive industries, Republicans passed the WEST Act (Western Economic Security Today). It forces BLM to scrap the recently enacted Public Lands Rule that ushers in badly needed changes regulating how federal agencies manage public lands.

BLM lands should be reserved for productive uses, said several House Republicans. To them, preserving ecosystems and wildlife is not productive.

“The rule will protect clean water, clean air and wildlife habitat,” said Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO). “It will promote the restoration of degraded landscapes. It will ensure that decisions are based on the best available science and collaboration with tribal, local and rural communities.”

The Biden Administration also Finally raised the rent to drill or mine on our public lands. Royalty rates have been embarrassingly low and haven’t been changed since 1920! The proceeds will help clean up the environmental damage left after fossil companies abandoned 3.5 million oil and gas wells!

Mining in Boundary Waters Wilderness

Lastly, environmental groups cheered when the Biden Administration banned mining near Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota. 

There have been endless protests for years to protect that wilderness from mining. Native tribes, conservation groups, hunters, anglers and scientists have all spoken out against it. It contains some of the purest water left on Earth.

So the House passed a bill that reverses that ban.

Thankfully, because Democrats hold the majority in the Senate, none of these bills will likely pass.  And if they somehow do pass, Biden promises to veto them. 

That’s one of many reasons why it’s so very important that Democrats retain control of the Senate, regain the majority in the House, and of course keep the Presidency.