During the last House session for the month, House Republicans overwhelmingly voted in favor of repealing a portion of the Clean Air Act, creating the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The final vote was 209 in favor of passing the repeal, with 204 opposed, making it a narrow victory for Republicans as the bill passed along party lines.
The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund was introduced as part of the 2023 Inflation Reduction Act, designed to cut back on atmospheric gases that trap heat and thereby drive warming temperatures.
Such an effort would involve the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granting $27 billion toward "financing and private capital" to "deliver lower energy costs and economic revitalization to communities, particularly those that have historically been left behind."
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Last February, Representative Gary Palmer (R-AL) introduced HR 1023 repealing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
Before the vote, Rep. Palmer took to X (formerly Twitter) to urge his fellow Republicans to vote in favor of his bill, saying, "H.R. 1023 helps lower energy costs and unleash American energy by repealing Biden and Congressional Democrats' $27 billion slush fund and the natural gas tax put in place by their misnamed "Inflation Reduction Act."
H.R. 1023 helps lower energy costs and unleash American energy by repealing Biden and Congressional Democrats' $27 billion slush fund and the natural gas tax put in place by their misnamed "Inflation Reduction Act."
I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this important legislation. pic.twitter.com/QmqHcZM4kq
— Gary Palmer (@USRepGaryPalmer) March 22, 2024
Similarly, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) called the bill "an important step towards ending the President’s radical rush-to-green agenda."
H.R. 1023, the Cutting Green Corruption and Taxes Act, is an important step towards ending the President’s radical rush-to-green agenda. pic.twitter.com/dK04mfdnPm
— CathyMcMorrisRodgers (@cathymcmorris) March 22, 2024
Representative Rick Allen (R-GA) was equally harsh in his criticism of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, similarly describing it as a "slush fund" and part of the Biden Administration's "radical rush-to-green agenda."
"H.R. 1023 would rescind the EPA’s $27 BILLION "Green New Deal" slush fund and repeal the administration’s disastrous proposed natural gas tax. Americans are sick and tired of their hard-earned tax dollars contributing to this administration’s radical, rush-to-green agenda," Rep. Allen tweeted.
✅ JUST PASSED: H.R. 1023, the Cutting Green Corruption and Taxes Act.
H.R. 1023 would rescind the EPA’s $27 BILLION "Green New Deal" slush fund and repeal the administration’s disastrous proposed natural gas tax.
Americans are sick and tired of their hard-earned tax dollars… pic.twitter.com/m56SzvgFBD
— Rick W. Allen (@RepRickAllen) March 22, 2024
The votes in favor of passing Rep. Palmer's HR 1023 were heavily along party lines, with nearly all Republicans voting in favor and Democrats voting against. A single "no" among Republicans was Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), while there was a single "yes" from Democrats belonging to Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX).
Arizona's largely Republican Congressional delegation overwhelmingly voted in favor of Palmer's bill, except for Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ), who did not vote. Meanwhile, Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) was the only one not to vote among Arizona Democrats, as Representatives Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Greg Stanton (D-AZ) voted against it.