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Trump's 2021 Budget Seeks to Destroy the Environmental Protection Agency
There's zero surprise in reading the title of this post. It's right on brand for Trump and Republicans to seek to destroy the Environmental Protection Agency. The fiscal year 2021 budget proposed in February 2020 is no different.
Trump's proposed budget for fiscal 2021 calls for significant reductions to environmental programs at federal agencies, including a 26 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Trump’s budget would eliminate 50 EPA programs and impose massive cuts to research and development....
The proposed spending reductions mark the latest effort by the administration to chip away at government agencies focused on science, the environment and public lands.
Since Scott Pruitt left in disgrace, Andrew Wheeler has VERY QUIETLY been dismantling the EPA in all respects. These actions have led to more pollution, more deadly chemicals in our waterways, and more medical issues and death for our people.
Among the 50 programs targeted by the administration are ones that help fight pollution, radon, lead, as well as those that give clean water grants to small and disadvantaged communities.
.... cut the Superfund program, tasked with cleaning up hazardous waste sites, by 10 percent, despite data showing the agency has the largest backlog of toxic waste cleanups in 15 years.
.... also would cut research and development funding at the EPA nearly in half, lowering funding from $500 million to $281 million... cut the EnergyStar program, which helps businesses and individuals save money and protect the environment by helping them to achieve greater energy efficiency, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Trump's budget cuts $219 million (43 percent) from the EPA's funding for scientific research, which could diminish the agency's capacity to protect the health of American citizens and the environment.
“Congress should toss this Trump budget into the dustbin of history like they've done with the other ones," former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, who served during the Obama administration and is now head of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement.
Environmental experts have slammed the Trump administration's proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2021, saying it could "virtually eliminate" climate programs overseen by the EPA.
The budget would cap the agency at roughly 12,500 employees, the lowest level since 1986 and a large drop from 17,000 just a decade ago.
While Congress has previously rejected Trump's attempts to cut funding for the EPA... and is likely to do so again... the signs from the administration are worrying.... the agency lost 8 percent of its staff in the first 18 months of his administration due to high numbers of departing employees....
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