Press Releases

LCV Statement on Disappointing Year-End Tax and Spending Package

Dec 17, 2019

Contact: Emily Samsel, emily_samsel@lcv.org, 202-454-4573

Washington, D.C. — In response to the year-end spending deal announced Monday, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) issued the following statement from Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld:

“The tax and spending package is a major disappointment when it comes to advancing clean energy, combating the climate crisis, and protecting public health. While there are some important increases in funding for EPA, public lands, and clean energy in the FY2020 appropriations package, the deal does not make badly needed progress on critical environmental priorities, including: extending and expanding clean energy and electric vehicle tax incentives that would help reduce carbon emissions at a time when addressing the climate crisis has never been more obvious or more urgent; protecting the drinking water of communities poisoned by toxic PFAS chemicals; and providing full, permanent funding for America’s best parks program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund. These missed opportunities leave behind the low income communities and communities of color that are already disproportionately burdened by toxic pollution and the impacts of the climate crisis. It is especially disheartening to see over $1 billion allocated for a xenophobic, racist and environmentally destructive border wall while these environmental priorities were left out of the final package. While there is plenty of blame to go around, this disappointing finish to the first session of the 116th Congress further underscores the dire need to elect a pro-environment president and pro-environment majority in the Senate in 2020.”

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