The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bipartisan spending bill for EPA and other agencies by a 26-2 vote. The bill proposes a 5 percent reduction in funding for EPA and the state environmental grants that EPA administers. Although the bill’s topline numbers fall short of the funding EPA needs to fully do its job, one thing is clear – this bipartisan Senate bill is a sharp repudiation of the massive 55 percent cut sought by President Trump.
The Environmental Protection Network, an organization created by former EPA staff who continue to support EPA’s mission of protecting public health and the environment, expressed its appreciation to subcommittee chair Lisa Murkowski and ranking member Jeff Merkley, as well as full committee chair Susan Collins and vice chair Patty Murray, for their admirable work.
“It’s a welcome breath of clean air when Republicans and Democrats work together to reject the extreme EPA budget cuts sought by President Trump,” said Michelle Roos, executive director of the Environmental Protection Network. “This spending plan sends a clear and bipartisan message to the Trump administration that they have gone too far and must back off their plans to lay off EPA staff and shut down critical parts of the agency such as EPA’s science offices.”
Published August 2025
