WASHINGTON, DC – July 24, 2024 – American Thoracic Society Environmental Health Policy Committee Chair Alison Lee, MD, strongly opposes proposed FY25 cuts that would jeopardize the health of all Americans: “Clean air, clean water and a healthy environment are essential to the health of all Americans. That is why I am calling on Congress to scrap the current FY25 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill and start over.
“The bill – passed out of subcommittee along partisan lines - cuts overall EPA funding by 20 percent, funding for clean air programs by 60 percent, the budget for the Council on Environmental Quality by 80 percent and completely cuts funding for environmental justice programs.
“The bill does even more damage by including policy riders that block the EPA from taking meaningful action to reduce air pollution and address climate change.
“As experts in respiratory disease and advocates for clean air, we urge the House Appropriations Committee to abandon this legislative assault on the environment and instead provide the EPA with the resources it needs to protect our nation’s environmental health.”
The American Thoracic Society will continue to advocate for clean air and responsible policy initiatives.