Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
House appropriators today moved two key spending bills through committee, setting up yet another contentious fight with the Senate on energy and environmental spending levels.
Why it matters: House Republicans are seeking drastic 20 percent cuts at EPA and seeking to reprogram IRA and infrastructure law money to fit tight topline spending levels.
Driving the news: The House Appropriations Committee advanced its Interior-Environment bill on a party line 29-25 vote. The energy-water bill moved 30-26.
- Republicans rejected various Democratic amendments to toss out partisan policy riders and restore spending.
- Rep. Chellie Pingree called the EPA cut "irresponsible."
Zoom in: At DOE, Republicans are once again proposing big cuts to "clean" energy spending accounts.
- But notably, the bill would reprogram billions from the Loan Programs Office to fund at least three advanced reactor demonstration projects.
- Democrats unsuccessfully tried to nix that provision.
Meanwhile, EPA and Interior would both see significant cuts, but the Interior-environment bill does seek to address federal wildland firefighter pay with more than $330 million.
- "The level of funding in this bill takes a step in the right direction and puts us on a path to reign in unnecessary discretionary spending and direct funding to where it is needed most: Indian country and federal wildland firefighter pay," Rep. Mike Simpson said during the markup.
What's next: Republicans hope to put these bills on the floor at the end of July before Congress leaves for August recess.
- Riders to block Biden administration climate policies. and target critical race theory or pride flags flown at federal buildings, aren't going anywhere in the Senate.
- But we'll be watching how the Senate proposes to fund advanced reactor demonstrations.
- The spending caps in last year's debt ceiling deal will once again be an issue, as the Senate proposes to skirt them with emergency funding.
Go deeper: Read more on what's in the bills here.
