Washington Gas wants to add $215 million to our gas bills to pay for their project to lock the District into dirty methane gas for decades. But YOU can speak out to stop them!
Join us and testify against Washington Gas’s money-making District (un)SAFE plan at upcoming community hearings hosted by the Public Service Commission! Sign up to let us know you’re coming. We’ll follow up with you to share our testimony guide, connect you with experienced testifiers for help, and make sure you know where to find us on hearing day.
D.C Public Service Commission Hearing Room, 1325 G Street, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005
Join us for the DC Green Budget Day of Action on June 16th!
Organizations and residents from across the District are gathering at 8am on June 16th at the John A Wilson building, calling on the DC Council: Don’t defund our communities and our climate in our local DC budget. After a press conference, green-shirted supporters will descend on the Wilson building, meeting with Councilmembers and staff, sitting in committee hearings, and taking creative action to call attention to the need to sustain DC’s local budget commitments to our neighborhoods, our climate, and our natural places.
Actions will continue throughout the day until 3 pm.
Why: We continue to see that when DC’s local budget is tight, DC’s funds to protect nature, ensure environmental health and justice, make energy bills affordable, support public transit, and reduce carbon emissions are some of the first to be cut. This has to stop. Our communities and our climate cannot wait. We cannot continue to sell out the District’s future, the health of our neighbors, workers, and communities, and the ongoing environmental justice fights in our city. With this day of action we hope to send a clear message to District leaders: don’t touch our green programs!
U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries, will convene a hearing titled “Finding Nemo’s Future: Conflicts over Ocean Resources” on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 10:00 am EST. This hearing will examine U.S. efforts to counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and explore opportunities to strengthen enforcement, coordination, and technological innovation. The hearing will evaluate existing legislative authorities and international agreements and examine policy options to advance maritime domain awareness and promote responsible ocean governance in the face of rising IUU activity.
Witnesses:
Gregory Poling, Director and Senior Fellow, Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, Center for Strategic & International Studies
Nathan Rickard, Partner, Picard Kentz & Rowe
Gabriel Prout, President, Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
On Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will hold an oversight hearing titled “Examining the President’s FY 2026 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior.”
Witness:
Doug Burgum, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior
Brief Description of Program and Recommended Reduction or Increase
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
Bureau of Reclamation and the Central
Utah Project
-609
The Budget provides $1.2 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project.
Operation of the National Park System
-900
The Budget would
transfer most properties to State-level management. Achieving a $900 million cut to operations would require eliminating funding for roughly 350 park sites, 75 percent of the total.
This reduction complements the Administration’s goals transferring most parks to State and tribal governments.
NPS National Recreation and
Preservation
-77
Bureau of Indian Affairs Programs that
Support Tribal Self-Governance and
Tribal Communities
-617
The Budget eliminates the Indian
Guaranteed Loan program for tribal business development. The Budget also terminates the Indian Land Consolidation
Program. In addition, the Budget also
reduces funding for programs that directly fund tribal operations such as roads, housing, and social
services.
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Public
Safety and Justice
-107
The Budget cuts the tribal law enforcement program by 20 percent.
Bureau of Indian Education
Construction
-187
The Budget eliminates funding for construction of tribal schools.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Surveys, Investigations, and Research
programs
-564
USGS provides science information on natural hazards, ecosystems, water, energy and mineral
resources, and mapping of Earth’s features. The Budget eliminates programs that provide grants to
universities and crucial climate science initiatives and instead focuses on support for minerals and fossil fuel extraction.
Bureau of Land Management
Conservation Programs
-198
The Budget
proposes deep reductions. The Budget also reduces the Wildlife
and Aquatic Habitat Management program.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) State, Tribal, and NGO
Conservation Grant Programs
-170
The Budget eliminates USFWS grant programs that fund conservation of species managed by States, Tribes,
and other nations.
Renewable Energy Programs
-80
The Budget proposes to eliminate support for renewable energy deployment.
USFWS Ecological Services
-37
USFWS’ Ecological Services program and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service Office of
Protected Resources are jointly responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act and the
Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Budget consolidates these two programs into a single program
housed within DOI with significantly reduced funding.
Federal Wildland Fire Service
(consolidation of USDA and DOI
Wildland Fire Management programs
under a unified agency within DOI)
--
Federal wildfire risk mitigation and suppression responsibilities currently are split across five
agencies in two departments: the U.S. Forest Service in USDA and BIA, Bureau of Land
Management, USFWS, and NPS in DOI. The Budget
consolidates the Federal wildland fire responsibilities into a single new Federal Wildland Fire Service at
DOI, including transferring USDA’s current wildland fire management responsibilities.
Brief Description of Program and Recommended Reduction or Increase
DOD Topline
+113,300
In combination with $113 billion in mandatory funding, the Budget
increases Defense spending by 13 percent.
Department of Homeland Security
Increases
Program
$ Change
from 2025
Enacted
(in millions)
Description
DHS
+43,800
Amounts for DHS in the 2026 Budget complement amounts that the Administration has requested as
part of the reconciliation bill currently under consideration in the Congress. Reconciliation would
allocate more than $175 billion in additional multiyear budget authority to implement the
Administration’s priorities in the homeland security space of which at least an estimated $43.8 billion
would be allocated in 2026. Reconciliation funding in 2026 would enable DHS to fully implement
the President’s mass removal campaign, finish construction of the border wall on the Southwest
border, procure advanced border security technology, modernize the fleet and facilities of the Coast
Guard, and enhance Secret Service protective operations. Reconciliation would also provide funding
to bolster State and local capacity to enhance security around key events and facilities, and prepare
for upcoming special events like the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
Program
$ Change
from 2025
Enacted
(in millions)
Description
Non-Disaster Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) Grant
Programs
-646
The Budget reduces FEMA grant programs. FEMA under the previous administration made equity a top priority for
emergency relief, which will end. The National Domestic Preparedness Consortium will be eliminated.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency (CISA)
-491
The Budget refocuses CISA on Federal network defense and enhancing the
security and resilience of critical infrastructure. The Budget eliminates programs focused on misinformation and propaganda
as well as external engagement offices such as international affairs.
Shelter and Services Program
-650
The Budget proposes eliminating the Shelter and Services Program.
Scott Bessent, Secretary, Department of the Treasury
Program Name
$ Change
from 2025
Enacted
(in millions)
Brief Description of Program and Recommended Reduction or Increase
Department of the Treasury
Increases
Rural Financial Award Program
+100
The Budget creates a new $100 million award program from a limited CDFI program.
This new program would require 60 percent of Community Development Financial Institutions’
(CDFIs’) loans and investments to go to rural areas.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
-2,488
The Budget significantly reduces the IRS budget.
CDFI Fund Discretionary Awards
-291
The Budget recommends
eliminating CDFI Fund discretionary awards, including climate reisiliency.
Senate Appropriations Committee
Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee
State Rental Assistance Block Grant
(Tenant-Based Rental Assistance,
Public Housing, Project-Based Rental
Assistance, Housing for the Elderly,
and Housing for Persons with
Disabilities)
-26,718
The Budget transforms the current Federal rental assistance
into a State-based formula grant. The Budget would also newly
institute a two-year cap on rental assistance for able bodied adults. A State-based formula
program would also lead to significant terminations of Federal regulations.
The Budget includes $25 million in housing grants for youth aging out of foster care.
Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG)
-3,300
The Budget proposes to eliminate the CDBG program, which provides formula grants to over 1,200
State and local governments for a wide range of community and economic development activities.
HOME Investment Partnerships
Program
-1,250
The Budget eliminates HOME, a formula grant that provides State and local governments with
funding to expand the supply of housing.
Native American Programs and Native
Hawaiian Housing Block Grant
-479
The Budget eliminates competitive grant
programs for Native American housing and eliminates the Native Hawaiian
Housing Block Grant.
Homeless Assistance Program
Consolidations
-532
The Budget consolidates the Continuum of Care and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
programs into an Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program that provides short- and
medium-term housing assistance, capped at two years, to homeless and at-risk individuals. T
Surplus Lead Hazard Reduction and
Healthy Homes Funding
-296
This set of programs has unobligated balances that should be depleted.
Self-Sufficiency Programs
-196
HUD’s Self-Sufficiency Programs are eliminated.
Pathways to Removing Obstacles
(PRO) Housing
-100
Consistent with the Executive Order 14151, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI
Programs and Preferencing,” the Budget proposes to eliminate PRO Housing, an affordable housing development
program.
Fair Housing Grants
-60
The Budget eliminates the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), which provides competitive
grants to public and private fair housing organizations. The Budget also eliminates the National Fair Housing Training Academy,
which provides training for Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) and FHIP professionals as
well as funding to translate HUD materials to languages other than English. The Budget, however,
maintains support for FHAP, which funds State and local enforcement agencies that collectively
process about 80 percent of the Nation’s fair housing complaints under the Fair Housing Act.
Small Agency Eliminations
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
400 Years of African American
History Commission
Corporation for National and
Community Service (operating as
AmeriCorps)
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Federal Mediation and Conciliation
Service
Institute of Museum and Library
Sciences
Inter-American Foundation
Marine Mammal Commission
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the
Humanities
Neighborhood Reinvestment
Corporation
U.S. African Development Foundation
U.S. Agency for Global Media
U.S. Institute of Peace
U.S. Interagency Council on
Homelessness
Woodrow Wilson Center
Presidio Trust
-3,586
The Budget includes the elimination of, or the elimination of Federal funding for, the following small
agencies. Agencies in bold are in these appropriations bills.
Delta Regional Authority
Denali Commission
Northern Border Regional
Commission
Southeast Crescent Regional
Commission
Southwest Border Regional
Commission
Great Lakes Authority
The Budget eliminates six small
regional commissions. The Budget continues
funding for Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) operations at $14 million.
Senate Appropriations Committee
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
H.R. 390, ACERO Act, Directs NASA to use its ACERO project to improve aerial wildfire response through advanced aircraft, real-time data sharing, and coordinated multi-agency operations.
H.R. 3705, Fog Observations and Geographic Forecasting Act, Directs NOAA to improve coastal marine fog forecasting to enhance maritime safety, protect critical infrastructure, and reduce the economic impact of port disruptions caused by severe fog events.
The Budget reduces salaries and expenses by $342 million, and saves an additional $50 million by
eliminating funding for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration program, and reducing
funding for recreation, vegetation and watershed management, and land management regulation. The
Budget fully supports the Executive Order 14225, “Immediate Expansion
of American Timber Production,” to improve forest management and increase domestic timber
production. The requested funding level supports timber sales, hazardous fuels removal, mineral
extraction, grazing, and wildlife habitat management.
Forest Service Operations
-391
The Budget reduces funding for expenses including salaries and facility leases to streamline the
Agency’s management structure and reduce their real property footprint.
State, Local, Tribal, and NGO
Conservation Programs
-303
The Budget largely eliminates grant programs that subsidize management of State and privately-owned forests.
While the Budget provides reduced support for Federal wildland fire
management activities, these partners should be encouraged to
fund their own community preparedness and risk mitigation activities. Programs eliminated include Landscape Scale Restoration, Federal Lands Forest Health Management, Cooperative Lands Forest Health Management, State Fire Capacity Grants, Volunteer Fire Capacity Grants, Forest Stewardship (Working Forest Lands), Community Forest and Open Space Conservation, and Urban and Community Forestry.
Forest and Rangeland Research (Except
Forest Inventory and Analysis)
-300
The President has pledged to manage national forests for their intended purpose of producing timber.
The Budget reduces funding for the Forest and Rangeland Research program because it is out of step
with timber production, but maintains funding for Forest
Inventory and Analysis, a longstanding census of forest resources and conditions.
The 2026 budget consolidates the federal suppression response apparatus into a new Department of the
Interior (DOI) bureau, eliminated USFS Wildland Fire Management and the USFS Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund.
Senate Appropriations Committee
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
Subcommittee hearing entitled “Short-Circuiting Progress: How the Clean Air Act Impacts Building Necessary Infrastructure and Onshoring American Innovation.”
Dr. James W. Boylan, Chief of the Air Protection Branch at the Georgia Environmental Protection Division
Chad S. Whiteman, Vice President, Environment and Regulatory Affairs, Global Energy Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Paul Noe, Vice President, Public Policy, American Forest and Paper Association
John Walke, Director, Federal Clean Air & Senior Attorney, Environmental Health, Natural Resources Defense Council
ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION
The process and timelines for reviewing and revising National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
The timeliness of EPA’s review of State Implementation Plans (SIPS) and the use of Federal Implementation Plans (FIPS).
The impact that forest fires and exceptional events can have on attaining NAAQS.
How non-attainment designations can impact infrastructure development and economic growth.
Air quality trends in recent decades.
The Subcommittee will discuss two legislative discussion drafts to reform the NAAQS
program.
A. H.R. ____, CLEAN AIR AND ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT REFORM ACT (CLEAR ACT)
This legislation would make several changes to the process for establishing and implementing NAAQS, including extending the current NAAQS review cycle from five years to ten years, allowing consideration of attainability, providing states the opportunity to address concerns in a SIP submission before a FIP is issued, and eliminating certain demonstration requirements in a SIP to promote increased technological innovations in control technologies.
The legislation would also amend the CAA to modify how certain events including fires, drought, and heat, are considered as part of the NAAQS process. The legislation would also add a new section 179C that provides, with respect to any non-attainment area classified as severe or extreme for ozone or as serious for particulate matter, that sanctions for implementation plan deficiencies under section 179 or fees for failure to attain the air quality standard under section 185 will not apply in certain situations. Specifically, Section 319(b) of the Clean Air Act would include prescribed fires and other actions to mitigate wildfire risk as eligible events for excluding air monitoring data for regulatory
determinations. The inapplicability of sanctions and fees under this section does not affect any obligations under the Act to implement measures to attain national ambient air quality standards.
The legislation would also require the CASAC to include at least 3 people representing state air pollution control agencies and includes a new provision that requires those appointed from state air pollution control agencies to be from different regions of the country and to require the EPA Administrator to request, and the CASAC to provide, advice regarding adverse public health, welfare, social, economic, or energy effects that may result from various strategies for attainment and maintenance of NAAQS.
B. H.R. ____, CLEAN AIR AND BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT ACT
This legislation would require the EPA Administrator to concurrently publish regulations and guidance for implementing a revised NAAQS and prevent the new or revised standards from applying to preconstruction permit applications until the Administrator has published such final regulations and guidance. It also clarifies that nothing in the subsection eliminates the obligation of a preconstruction permit applicant to install the best available control technology and lowest achievable emission rate technology, and clarifies that nothing in the subsection limits the authority of a state, local, or Tribal permitting authority to impose more stringent emissions requirements pursuant to a state, local, or tribal law than NAAQS.
• The legislation also provides that the 2024 PM2.5 standard shall not apply to the review and disposition of a preconstruction permit application if a permit application is completed on or before the date of promulgation of the final designation of an area; or a public notice of a preliminary determination on a draft permit is provided within 60 days after the date of final designation of an area.
It also provides that the section shall not be construed to eliminate the obligation of a preconstruction permit applicant to install best available control technology and lowest achievable emission rate technology, as applicable, or limit the authority of a state, local, or tribal permitting authority to impose more stringent emissions requirements than the NAAQS.
