LCV staff and members gathered at the Capitol to urge members of Congress to reject Republicans’ terrible reconciliation bill.
LCV staff and members gathered at the Capitol to urge members of Congress to reject Republicans’ terrible reconciliation bill.
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 House Republicans’ terrible billionaire tax scam and illegitimate CRAs in the Senate, and how states are advancing climate action against all odds.
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“The United States Senate has a choice: cede American car-industry dominance to China and clog the lungs of our children, or follow decades of precedent and uphold the clean air policies that Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon fought so hard for.”
— California Governor Gavin Newsom ahead of Senate Republicans’ illegal Congressional Review Act vote that overturned California’s long-standing clean car and truck waivers.
“Instead of working to lower costs and pass policies that actually uplift Americans, they’re pushing one of the most harmful, misguided, and backward bills I have ever seen.”
— Representative Mike Levin (CA-49) on Republicans’ harmful reconciliation bill.
“This so-called budget is not just morally bankrupt—it’s downright cruel… I didn’t leave the Capitol—didn’t sleep—for two days straight to fight back because the American people deserve to know what’s in this bill. And I will keep calling out their lies every step of the way.”
–Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) on nearly 30 hours of continuous debate and resistance.
WORK TO RESUME ON NEW YORK OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT: Over a month after construction was halted for no legitimate reason by the Trump administration, Empire Wind has received the green light to resume work. The reversal from the administration is a result of intensive lobbying by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the company building Empire Wind, Norwegian energy giant Equinor. The project will create 1,500 direct construction jobs and provide clean energy to hundreds of thousands of homes once completed.
NYLCV TAKE: New York LCV President Julie Tighe said, “We thank Governor Hochul for leading the fight to lift the stop-work order on the Empire Wind project. This is a critical step forward for our clean energy future, keeps 1,500 good-paying union jobs on track, and builds the infrastructure to create a healthy, safe New York for future generations. Offshore wind is key to reducing pollution, strengthening our grid, and securing long-term energy independence.
“At a time when the federal government is baselessly attacking an entire industry, this is exactly the kind of leadership we need. Governor Hochul stood up for what’s right and got this vital project back on track.”
NEW JERSEY LCV VICTORY FUND INVESTS $175,000 IN GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY: New Jersey LCV Victory Fund has invested $175,000 to help elect endorsed gubernatorial candidate and climate champion Representative Mikie Sherrill in the state’s Democratic primary election.
NEW JERSEY LCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Political Director Jesse Sutherland said, “New Jersey LCV Victory Fund is making this significant investment because the stakes couldn’t be higher. We’re committed to ensuring voters know where the candidates stand and to electing leaders like Mikie Sherrill who will put the health and safety of New Jersey communities first.
“Voting is one of the most powerful tools we can use to shape the future of our communities and protect the environment we all share. As New Jerseyans cast their ballots on, and before, June 10th, we encourage everyone to make their voices heard and support Mikie Sherrill, who will prioritize clean air, safe water, and a sustainable climate for future generations.”
PENNSYLVANIA INVESTS $22.5 MILLION IN SCHOOL SOLAR PROJECTS: Over 70 Pennsylvania K-12 schools will receive $500,000 each to install solar panels that will generate clean power to reduce emissions and save schools millions of dollars in utility costs over the lifespan of the panels.
CVPA TAKE: Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania Political and Legislative Director Katie Blume said, “This program lowers costs for taxpayers, creates jobs, and provides clean energy produced right here in Pennsylvania. It’s a win for everyone.”
STATES FIGHT BACK: In response to the Senate’s illegitimate use of the Congressional Review Act to block California’s waiver to set stronger clean air standards for cars and trucks (more on that below in the Federal section), the U.S. Climate Alliance today announced the launch of the Affordable Clean Cars Coalition by 11 of its member governors to sustain America’s transition to cleaner and more affordable cars, support U.S. automotive manufacturers and workers, and preserve states’ clean air authority. Governors Gavin Newsom (CA), Jared Polis (CO), Matt Meyer (DE), Wes Moore (MD), Maura Healey (MA), Phil Murphy (NJ), Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM), Kathy Hochul (NY), Tina Kotek (OR), Dan McKee (RI), and Bob Ferguson (WA) issued the following statement on the initiative’s launch:
“The federal government and Congress are putting polluters over people and creating needless chaos for consumers and the market, but our commitment to safeguarding Americans’ fundamental right to clean air is resolute. We will continue collaborating as states and leveraging our longstanding authority under the Clean Air Act, including through state programs that keep communities safe from pollution, create good-paying jobs, increase consumer choice, and help Americans access cleaner and more affordable cars. As we consider next steps for our clean vehicle programs, our states will engage stakeholders and industry to provide the regulatory certainty needed while redoubling our efforts to build a cleaner and healthier future.”
GAO CONFIRMS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ILLEGALLY WITHHOLDING FUNDS FROM ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE: The non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded its investigation into the administration’s withholding of funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI), determining that the administration is at odds with the law that provides important infrastructure investments in every state across the country.
REP. DELAURO TAKE: Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) said, “House Democrats enacted critical investments to lower the cost of living, secure good-paying jobs, and protect and renew critical infrastructure to support American families, but Elon Musk and President Trump have sought to chaotically tear it all down…This is the law of the land, and the executive branch is required to carry it out. It should be obvious that the American people did not elect President Trump to steal from them, but today the Comptroller General reminded him of exactly that.”
HOUSE PASSES ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL BILLIONAIRE TAX SCAM: On Wednesday, House Republicans pushed through the most anti-environmental reconciliation bill of all time. The bill will increase families’ energy costs, sell off our public lands, and threaten public health and our economy, all to benefit Republicans’ polluter and billionaire allies. Read LCV’s full memo for more details on what is included in this terrible bill.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “The reconciliation bill Speaker Johnson and House Republicans just jammed through is a sweeping measure that amounts to the most anti-environmental bill in our nation’s history. It will mean higher gas and electricity costs for struggling families and businesses, tanking the U.S. manufacturing resurgence, ceding leadership to China and increased exposure to pollution for our kids and our communities. We are deeply disappointed by the House Republicans who failed to fix these provisions despite stating their support for these popular clean energy investments. It is notable that the majority of clean energy investments in this country are in congressional districts represented by Republicans, including a number of extreme members representing those districts doing polluters’ bidding in advocating for full repeal. Voting to gut these investments means voting against your own constituents, threatening their jobs and leaving them with higher electricity prices. People are deeply worried about our economy and rising costs, and our country simply cannot afford to halt clean energy progress in its tracks. Let’s be clear why this is being done — to benefit their Big Oil backers and to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.”
Ahead of this terrible vote, LCV issued a memo detailing the extreme and reckless bill, sent a letter to members of the House informing them that we will score this vote in our 2025 National Environmental Scorecard (as we only do infrequently for the most critical votes), and showed up in person and in chalk to ensure our message was heard.
TAKE 2: LCV Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “Speaker Johnson’s extreme and reckless Reconciliation bill would stop our nation’s clean energy progress in its tracks. The bill Speaker Johnson is attempting to jam through means higher gas and electricity costs for struggling families and businesses, tanking the U.S. manufacturing resurgence, and ceding leadership to China.
“Now is the time for members of Congress who have spoken out in favor of these popular tax credits or whose districts have the most to lose to decide once and for all where they stand. We urge them in the strongest possible terms to ensure that the clean energy credits are restored before the bill goes to the House floor, or vote no. Members of Congress who vote for this bill will have to explain to their constituents why they voted to cut good energy and manufacturing jobs and raise home energy costs in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.
“Words are not enough. Now we need action.”
TAKE 3: LCV President Pete Maysmith said, “This partisan reconciliation bill puts our health and safety at risk. It cuts funding for all manner of environmental protections. It eliminates the penalty for fossil fuel companies that fail to reduce their dangerous methane pollution while cutting funds to monitor, enforce, protect and improve air and water quality. It also directs hundreds of billions of dollars to turbocharge mass deportations, militarize the border, fund immigration raids in schools and other community spaces, and tear families apart.”
TAKING YOUR CALLS: LCV’s Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo joined C-SPAN’s Washington Journal this morning to answer calls from viewers and talk about the ways the House’s reconciliation bill will undermine clean energy and the benefits people all across the country are experiencing. Spoiler alert, this package means higher gas and electricity costs, more pollution and a loss of manufacturing jobs.
SENATE REPUBLICANS PASS ILLEGITIMATE CRA RESOLUTIONS TO END CALIFORNIA CLEAN VEHICLE WAIVERS: Republicans in the Senate broke the law, and their own rules, to pass a series of illegitimate Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions that seek to eliminate EPA’s state preemption waivers for California’s tailpipe pollution limits – the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT), Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II), and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Omnibus (HDO) rules.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “This attempt by Republicans to push through illegitimate power grabs will benefit Big Oil CEOs, while repealing state protections that make vehicles cheaper and cleaner. This should not be a political or partisan issue, it’s about states’ ability to set standards that deliver cleaner air for their citizens. For nearly 50 years, both Republican and Democratic administrations have followed the Clean Air Act to affirm California’s ability to do more to protect their residents from air pollution because of the state’s unique air quality problems.
“Cleaning up cars and trucks is essential to cleaning up our air and reducing associated health problems like asthma and mitigating climate change. These votes also risk billions of dollars of investments in hundreds of job-creating factories and will raise costs for consumers by eliminating these crucial clean car standards and raise prices at the pump. If the Senate wants to protect our air, our jobs, our health and our environment, they must oppose these illegitimate CRAs.”
CHISPA TAKE: Chipsa Senior Director Estefany Carrasco-González said, “Nothing is more fundamental to our health than clean air. Once again, polluters are getting their way in Washington, and our families will pay the price. Eliminating clean cars and truck waivers is undermining cleaner vehicle standards that are an option for states to reduce truck and bus pollution in their communities. Congressional Republicans want to undo decades of clean air progress just to help their Big Oil backers, while also removing crucial funding for programs that benefit all communities across the country, including the Clean School Bus program, Medicaid, and food assistance programs. Our Latine communities have a lot to lose. According to the American Lung Association’s recent “State of the Air” report, we are more likely to live in polluted areas. Some places with the most polluted air in the country are where Chispa has been organizing to protect our families: Phoenix, Reno, Denver, and Coastal Texas. Higher air pollution means more children suffering asthma attacks and missing school, parents missing work, more grandparents dying prematurely, and more death and destruction from extreme weather. We can’t keep paying more to breathe dirty air. Our health, environment, and livelihoods cannot afford it.”
LCV’s Matthew Davis also joined a press conference after the CRA votes with environmental champions Senator Ed Markey (MA), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), and Senator Ron Wyden (OR).
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “Congressional Republicans led a Big Oil-backed effort to circumvent their own rules in order to block California, and other states, from having stronger clean air standards for cars and trucks. This should not be a political or partisan issue, it’s about states’ ability to set standards – like the original tailpipe pollution limits set by Ronald Reagan – that deliver cleaner air for their citizens. At the same time, House Republicans have just passed their billionaire tax scam, the most anti-environmental bill in our nation’s history that will drive up families’ energy costs by hundreds of dollars per year. Right now, the Senate must stand up against the anti-environmental billionaire tax scam to protect our clean air and water, and cost-saving, jobs-creating clean energy.”
SEN. MARKEY TAKE: Senator Ed Markey said, “The Trump administration has made one thing painfully clear: They are putting Oil Above All—above the law, above the economy, and above the health and wallets of working families. The repeal of the Clean Air Act waivers is yet another historic example of the lawlessness of today’s Republican party; no rule, no norm, no standard is safe if it stands between them and what their Big Oil donors want. They’re breaking precedent, breaking Senate process, and breaking public trust. As a result, we will see more asthma. More heart disease. More early deaths. More cancer. That will be the Trump and Republican legacy.”
HOUSE REPUBLICANS PASS CRA TO WEAKEN CLEAN AIR ACT PROTECTIONS OVER BIPARTISAN OPPOSITION: On Thursday, the House narrowly passed a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Reclassification Rule”, effectively rolling back critical Clean Air Act protections.
OUR TAKE: LCV Healthy Communities Advocate Lizzy Duncan said, “The Clean Air Act is one of our nation’s most critical bedrock environmental laws. In the statute’s 50-year history, Congress has never rolled back Clean Air Act protections. This is yet another attack on our environment, and puts millions of people nationwide at risk of serious health harms, including cancer, from preventable toxic air pollution in favor of big polluters.”
SECRETARY BURGUM BEFORE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum addressed the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee and he laid out his dangerous plan to kneecap the Interior Department.
REP. PINGREE TAKE: During the hearing, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chellie Pingree (ME-01) said, “So, Secretary Burgum, the document we are here to discuss today is more than just a budget. It’s a blueprint for dismantling the very mission of the Department of Interior—making it impossible to protect our natural resources and iconic national parks or uphold our commitments to Tribal communities now and for future generations.”
REPRESENTATIVE GERRY CONNOLLY DIES AT 75: Ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Representative Gerry Connolly (VA-11) passed away on Wednesday at 75. Connolly was a longtime climate and democracy champion who railed against President Trump’s efforts to gut the federal workforce.
OUR TAKE: LCV President Pete Maysmith said, “We are deeply saddened to lose such a steadfast leader and champion for our environment. Representative Connolly fought tirelessly on behalf of Virginians and to combat the climate crisis. His leadership co-founding and co-chairing the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) made a lasting difference in climate advocacy in the Capitol and helped us pass the biggest climate legislation in history, the Inflation Reduction Act. His committed public service will most certainly be missed.”
VALCV TAKE: Virginia LCV Executive Director Mike Town said, “Representative Connolly was a proud American and a stalwart champion for the voters of Northern Virginia. He was also consistently outspoken in support for protecting our environment and addressing our climate crisis. Virginians are saddened today by his passing, and his legacy of service will be felt by Virginians for decades to come.”
ON THE BLOG: As the reconciliation fight rages on, remember to check out pieces on The Power Source Blog breaking down the budget process and outlining what’s at stake in this bill.
ON OUR SOCIALS: We have to keep it real with you, this week has sucked. Trump and congressional Republicans are trying to convince us that their reconciliation bill isn’t just a tax scam to benefit billionaires, but we’re not falling for it, or any of their other lies. We’re hitting the streets to demand hands off our air, water, public lands, and clean energy.
JUNE 14: No Kings Mass Mobilization.
JUNE 15: Father’s Day.
JUNE 19: Juneteenth.
©2025 League of Conservation Voters