©2025 League of Conservation Voters
Chair Jodey Arrington (R-TX) sponsored H.R. 2811, the so-called Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, which would raise the debt ceiling for less than a year, repeal the historic clean energy tax incentives included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), impose a decade of draconian cuts on funding for environmental programs, and dramatically weaken the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by exempting oil and gas companies from review processes, setting arbitrary deadlines, and making it harder for frontline communities to seek redress in the courts for environmental damages. The bill, dubbed the ‘Default on America Act,’ would also make it easier for Congress to stymie environmental and worker protections, institute ruthless work requirements for anti-poverty programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), repeal student loan forgiveness, and clear the way for corporations and billionaires to avoid paying their fair share in taxes. House Republicans presented a false choice: default on our debt and cause a global recession, or ‘Default on America’ and eliminate crucial environmental protections and clean energy progress when we need them the most. On April 26, the House approved H.R. 2811 by a vote of 217-215 (House roll call vote 199). The Senate took no action on this legislation, but did pass H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which increased the debt limit and weakened NEPA.
©2025 League of Conservation Voters