Hill Heat: Climate Justice Components Of Build Back Better Agenda Have Been Pared Back, With Further Cuts PossibleScience Policy Legislation Actiontag:hillheat.com,2005:TypoTypo2021-09-30T14:41:13-04:00Brad Johnsonurn:uuid:65d3d7d8-7976-4e3e-9433-a576840c4b952021-09-28T13:14:00-04:002021-09-30T14:41:13-04:00Climate Justice Components Of Build Back Better Agenda Have Been Pared Back, With Further Cuts Possible<p>In its reconciliation package, the House of Representatives restored some of Biden’s requested funding for climate justice measures that had been <a href='http://www.hillheat.com/articles/2021/08/31/with-no-double-dip-deal-biden-has-quietly-acquiesced-to-enormous-climate-justice-cuts-in-infrastructure-plans'>slashed by the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan deal</a>, but massive cuts remain.</p>
<p>If the White House heeds the “<a href='http://www.hillheat.com/articles/2021/08/31/with-no-double-dip-deal-biden-has-quietly-acquiesced-to-enormous-climate-justice-cuts-in-infrastructure-plans'>no double dip</a>” deal it made with Senate centrists, the House funds will be eliminated.</p>
<p>Two Build Back Better climate-justice programs that were cut in the Senate’s infrastructure package (known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, or <span class="caps">BIF</span>) are funded at or above President Biden’s requested levels:</p>
<ul>
<li>Building electric vehicle charging stations, raised $15 billion to $21 billion</li>
<li>Replacing the nation’s lead pipes, fully restored to $45 billion</li>
</ul>
<p>However, most face massive cuts, with no prospect for improvement:</p>
<ul>
<li>Reconnecting minority communities cut off by highway projects, cut 79% from $24 billion to $4.95 billion</li>
<li>Investing in electric school buses, cut 63% from $20 billion to $7.5 billion</li>
<li>Road safety, including “vision zero” programs to protect pedestrians, cut 45% from $20 billion to $11 billion (only $100 million added)</li>
<li>Upgrading and modernizing America’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems, cut 40% from $56 billion to $33.7 billion</li>
<li>Repairing and modernizing public transit, cut 36% from $85 billion to $54 billion</li>
<li>Broadband infrastructure, cut 31% from $100 billion to $69 billion</li>
<li>Investing in passenger and freight rail, cut 5% from $80 billion to $76 billion</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, the House added on additional funding for the programs that act as bailouts for polluters:
<ul>
<li>Capping orphan wells, increased to $18.5 billion, 16% over Biden’s request</li>
<li>Brownfield and Superfund, increased to $20 billion, three times Biden’s request</li>
</ul>
<p>The <span class="caps">BIF</span> includes the <a href='https://www.pillsburylaw.com/en/news-and-insights/civil-nuclear-credit-program-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill.html'>Civil Nuclear Credit Program</a>, a $6 billion bailout fund for existing nuclear plants.</p>
<p>The Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) is a <a href='https://grist.org/politics/meet-the-cepp-the-biggest-federal-climate-policy-youve-never-heard-of/'>major climate initiative</a> in the House reconciliation package, establishing a sort of carbon cap-and-trade system for electric utilities with the goal of increasing low-carbon electricity production to 80 percent of the mix by 2030. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has indicated his desire to modify the <span class="caps">CEPP</span> to lower its standards to support natural-gas plants.</p><p>In its reconciliation package, the House of Representatives restored some of Biden’s requested funding for climate justice measures that had been <a href='http://www.hillheat.com/articles/2021/08/31/with-no-double-dip-deal-biden-has-quietly-acquiesced-to-enormous-climate-justice-cuts-in-infrastructure-plans'>slashed by the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan deal</a>, but massive cuts remain.</p>
<p>If the White House heeds the “<a href='http://www.hillheat.com/articles/2021/08/31/with-no-double-dip-deal-biden-has-quietly-acquiesced-to-enormous-climate-justice-cuts-in-infrastructure-plans'>no double dip</a>” deal it made with Senate centrists, the House funds will be eliminated.</p>
<p>Two Build Back Better climate-justice programs that were cut in the Senate’s infrastructure package (known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, or <span class="caps">BIF</span>) are funded at or above President Biden’s requested levels:</p>
<ul>
<li>Building electric vehicle charging stations, raised $15 billion to $21 billion</li>
<li>Replacing the nation’s lead pipes, fully restored to $45 billion</li>
</ul>
<p>However, most face massive cuts, with no prospect for improvement:</p>
<ul>
<li>Reconnecting minority communities cut off by highway projects, cut 79% from $24 billion to $4.95 billion</li>
<li>Investing in electric school buses, cut 63% from $20 billion to $7.5 billion</li>
<li>Road safety, including “vision zero” programs to protect pedestrians, cut 45% from $20 billion to $11 billion (only $100 million added)</li>
<li>Upgrading and modernizing America’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems, cut 40% from $56 billion to $33.7 billion</li>
<li>Repairing and modernizing public transit, cut 36% from $85 billion to $54 billion</li>
<li>Broadband infrastructure, cut 31% from $100 billion to $69 billion</li>
<li>Investing in passenger and freight rail, cut 5% from $80 billion to $76 billion</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, the House added on additional funding for the programs that act as bailouts for polluters:
<ul>
<li>Capping orphan wells, increased to $18.5 billion, 16% over Biden’s request</li>
<li>Brownfield and Superfund, increased to $20 billion, three times Biden’s request</li>
</ul>
<p>The <span class="caps">BIF</span> includes the <a href='https://www.pillsburylaw.com/en/news-and-insights/civil-nuclear-credit-program-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill.html'>Civil Nuclear Credit Program</a>, a $6 billion bailout fund for existing nuclear plants.</p>
<p>The Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) is a <a href='https://grist.org/politics/meet-the-cepp-the-biggest-federal-climate-policy-youve-never-heard-of/'>major climate initiative</a> in the House reconciliation package, establishing a sort of carbon cap-and-trade system for electric utilities with the goal of increasing low-carbon electricity production to 80 percent of the mix by 2030. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has indicated his desire to modify the <span class="caps">CEPP</span> to lower its standards to support natural-gas plants.</p>