Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. This week, we’re covering the latest attacks on our environment and democracy from the Trump administration and Congress, including the rescission of the endangerment finding and the confirmation of Emil Bove to a lifetime federal judgeship.
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“Today’s EPA announcement ignores the blindingly obvious reality of the climate crisis and sidelines the EPA’s own scientists and lawyers in favor of the interests and profits of the fossil fuel industry.”
— Al Gore, former vice president and longtime environmental champion, on the Trump administration’s decision to unravel the endangerment finding.
“I don’t know of another case I have seen in my 14 years in the Senate where someone so unqualified for the bench is before us.”
— Senator Cory Booker on the nomination of Trump’s former criminal defense attorney Emil Bove to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Bove was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday night despite numerous reports of his unprecedented abuse of power.
“This action is chilling—not only because it removes my voice from the conversation but because it sends a clear message to others: speak out, and you may be silenced.”
— Elin Warn Betanzo, an engineer and member of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council, on her removal from the council as a result of signing onto a letter criticizing EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
NEW YORK GOVERNOR SIGNS LEGISLATION TO REDUCE WATER POLLUTION: Governor Kathy Hochul of New York signed a bill that will reduce water pollution and improve public health by making it easier and less expensive for New York residents to upgrade failing or outdated septic systems.
NYLCV TAKE: New York LCV President Julie Tighe said, “Everyone deserves clean water. Aging septic systems and cesspools are contaminating groundwater and waterways, especially on Long Island — the expansion of the Septic System Replacement Fund coupled with the Governor’s $30 million investment is a major win for public health. We applaud Governor Hochul for signing this critical measure as well as Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Kassay for their leadership in advancing it through the Legislature.”
VALCV LAUNCHES ACCOUNTABILITY AD CAMPAIGN: Virginia LCV has launched a new $120,000 ad campaign targeting nine members of the Virginia General Assembly for voting against a number of bills intended to advance clean energy and lower energy costs. The members that will be targeted over the course of the three week ad campaign are Ian Lovejoy, Geary Higgins, Chris Obenshain, David Owen, Amanda Batten, Mark Early, Carrie Coyner, Kim Taylor, and A.C. Cordoza.
VALCV TAKE: Virginia LCV Executive Director Michael Town said, “In peak summer, as energy consumption – and electric bills – hit their highest point of the year, it’s important for Virginians to know that if Republicans had their way at the General Assembly those energy costs would be much, much higher. At a time when clean energy is our cheapest, most deployable resource, Republicans want to double down on harmful, dirty, and expensive coal and methane to keep the lights on – efforts that would make our air dirtier while boosting corporate polluters’ bottom lines. The ‘Megabill’ that just passed out of Congress is estimated to drive up energy costs in Virginia by more than $7 billion – making it that much more important that we do everything we can here in the Commonwealth to cut bills and secure a better path forward, one that meets energy demand with cheap wind and solar and puts Virginians – not corporations – first.”
2025 ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT CARD FOR AZ LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNOR RELEASED: Chispa Arizona joined the Sierra Club and AZ AANHPI Advocates for a virtual press briefing on Wednesday to release the 2025 Environmental Report Card for the Arizona Legislature and Governor. This report reveals who stood up for our environment and who turned their backs on it.
CHISPA AZ TAKE: Chispa Arizona Advocacy and Political Director Vania Guevara said, “The legislature is a place for the people and our ability to be heard and work alongside our leadership. This is crucial to securing a future we deserve. Our hope is that our elected officials remember to prioritize people over profits and to focus on the importance of having access to our public lands, and to having clean water to drink and healthy air to breathe, as well as to ensuring a path to a renewable energy future.”
LCV, HMF LAUNCH $700,000 AD CAMPAIGN: LCV and House Majority Forward (HMF) have launched a new $700,000 digital ad campaign calling out House Republicans for supporting the Republican budget, aka the Big Ugly Bill, which will raise costs for families and communities across the board while cutting taxes for the ultra-wealthy. The ads will run in 11 districts during August recess. Watch the first ad targeting Representative Derrick Van Orden.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “Republicans in Congress need to stop increasing our costs. At a time of rising energy demand and dangerous and deadly climate impacts, we need clean energy – the most affordable and fastest to deploy – more than ever. These Republicans broke their promise to constituents to lower costs and voted for a budget that will increase costs across the board– and their constituents deserve to know who is to blame for increases in their bills.”
HMF TAKE: House Majority PAC President Mike Smith said, “It’s a fact, House Republicans handed billionaires a tax break and stuck their own constituents with the bill — all while cutting their Medicaid and raising their costs. Families are paying more for electricity, health care, and everyday basics, and all House Republicans have to show for it is another favor to the elite.”
EPA UNRAVELS ENDANGERMENT FINDING, ROLLS BACK VEHICLE POLLUTION STANDARDS: On Tuesday, EPA proposed revoking the landmark 2009 Endangerment Finding that allows the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. It also proposed rolling back vehicle pollution standards that help keep our air and water clean.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “LCV is appalled by the Trump administration’s decision to once again turn its back on its obligations to the people just to benefit Big Oil and other polluters. Unravelling the Endangerment Finding and rolling back vehicle pollution standards is a shocking, if not surprising, leap backwards on climate and the United States’ leadership on the international stage.
“Without these protections, energy prices will soar, owning a car will get more expensive, and climate disasters destroying our communities will become more frequent and severe. Our families will be forced to breathe more polluted air, exacerbating heart and respiratory conditions like asthma, at the same time as Republicans are passing legislation to drive up healthcare and energy costs across the country. While the Trump administration is hell-bent on exacerbating the climate crisis and driving up costs, we are determined to continue fighting against their egregious attacks on the well-being of our communities and our planet.”
CHISPA TAKE: Chispa Senior Director Estefany Carrasco-González said, “We know the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and this rule seeks to hide that pollution so polluters can operate unchecked. Our communities impacted by heavy pollution, living near freeways, transportation hubs, cities, and industrial areas, will pay the price of worse health and have their lives at risk. Rolling back this rule is an absolute injustice for millions of people, and will hit our children the hardest. Our national leaders have a moral responsibility to protect lives. We are in a full-blown climate crisis, and we don’t have time for a climate-denying administration after historic floods, heatwaves and droughts in our communities. People’s lives and well-being must be prioritized over industry profit.”
JOHN R. LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT REINTRODUCED IN THE SENATE: At a press conference on the Hill, Senators Warnock (GA), Durbin (IL), Schumer (NY), Booker (NJ), Blumenthal (CT), and Padilla (CA) reintroduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to the Senate. The bill aims to restore and modernize the voting rights policies established by the Civil Rights Act of 1965 that have been systematically chipped away at by the courts over the last decade.
OUR TAKE: LCV Democracy Program Director Justin Kwasa said, “We’re continuing to see attack after attack from extremist Republican politicians on our voting rights across the country, especially against historically excluded communities of color and communities with low wealth — the same voters who bear the greatest burden of environmental injustice. Expanding and protecting our voting rights is critical to ensure every voter’s voice is heard at the ballot box — no matter their race, income, or zip code. Sixty years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and after more than a decade of consistent rollbacks by MAGA Supreme Court Justices, Congress must pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act to restore bedrock protections against racist voter suppression, and pass other strong voting rights legislation including the Freedom to Vote Act and D.C. Statehood.”
SENATE CONFIRMS EMIL BOVE: In a 50-49 vote, the Senate confirmed Trump’s former criminal defense attorney Emil Bove to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Director of Judiciary & Democracy Doug Lindner said, “Senate Republicans once again put loyalty to Trump’s extreme agenda over our freedoms by confirming Emil Bove to a lifetime judgeship, despite numerous reports of his unprecedented abuses of power. Protections for our environment and our rights need judges who apply the law instead of breaking or twisting it to fit their political agendas.
“Bove has demonstrated repeatedly that he cannot be trusted to serve the people faithfully, and his nomination by Trump and confirmation by Republican Senators stain the integrity of all three branches of government. He is disqualified for this judgeship not by his ideology, but by credible allegations that he sought to defy court orders, purge January 6th investigators, and extort a mayor for compliance with Trump’s extreme deportation agenda. LCV will continue to stand against dangerous nominees like Emil Bove who will help Donald Trump undermine our freedoms, our protections, and our constitution.”
ON THE BLOG: After another tough month under this administration, it is more important than ever to celebrate our wins, and that’s exactly what we’re doing this week on The Power Source Blog. This month, we’re celebrating states’ work to lower energy costs and increase clean energy production, as well as the Top 5 impacts of LCV’s work at the state and national level over the past several weeks.
ON OUR SOCIALS: We’re sharing everything you need to know about EPA’s move to unravel the endangerment finding. And swipe on over to Bluesky to hear from several congressional champs on public lands, methane pollution, and more.
AUGUST: August Congressional Recess.
AUGUST 6: 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.
AUGUST 12: Poll Worker Recruitment Day.
SEPTEMBER 6: Chispa Texas Organizing Summit in Corpus Christi, Texas.
SEPTEMBER 30: Government Funding Deadline.
©2025 League of Conservation Voters