Defending Core Environmental Protections
Environmental Action supporters and other nature lovers across the country convinced Congress to reject President Trump’s devastating budget cuts for the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) this year. This is an important victory, but we are just getting started.
It’s clear: We need a strong Environmental Protection Agency to make sure that our wildlife and wild places are protected, and that our communities have clean air and water.
Before the EPA was established, the Cuyahoga River was so polluted that it actually caught on fire. Bald eagles were teetering on the brink of extinction. Acid rain was destroying our lakes and forests. And now, according to Pew Research Center, nearly 3 in 4 Americans agree with the statement that “the country should do whatever it takes to protect the environment.”
This last budget cycle, President Trump tried to cut the EPA’s budget by 31 percent. Calls, tweets and emails from Environmental Action supporters and others across the country convinced Congress to reject these cuts.
But our work is far from over. The EPA continues to face devastating budget cuts from the Trump administration for 2019 that would compromise its mission of protecting our environment. From substantial cuts to restoration programs for the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay, to defunding other critical programs for clean water and air, to slashing funds for programs that combat climate change, the Trump administration has taken many actions to move us in the wrong direction.
At Environmental Action, we know that we only have one environment—and that it’s worth paying to protect it. The health of our communities depends on clean air and water. Abundant wildlife and protected places safeguard delicate ecosystems that are key to our survival and quality of life. We will continue working to save the EPA and defend our core environmental protections for as long as it takes.