The Covid relief bill is not just about Covid relief. Environmental justice, health outcomes are in the mix
The House Energy and Commerce Committee met today to mark up the Committee’s legislative recommendations for budget reconciliation within the Democrats' COVID-19 relief package. It’s not exactly a bait-and-switch but people who understand that both parties use reconciliation bills to advance their larger policy agendas by adding in provisions that may, or may not, be strictly on point, will not be surprised to learn that the bill unveiled last night includes $100 million for the Environmental Protection Agency to address "health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic."
The proposed funding would provide $50 million “for grants, contracts, and other agency activities that advance the environmental justice purposes and objectives described in Executive Order 12898 titled ‘‘Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations.’’
Another $50 million is earmarked for EPA-funded air quality monitoring and related efforts authorized through section 103 of the Clean Air Act. It also provides $4.5 billion to the federal government's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Because Democrats plan to move the entire COVID-19 relief package under the budget reconciliation process, these measures—if adopted by Democrats—can not be shot down by Senate filibusters. Two observations: look for all kinds of loosely Covid-related elements to find their way into the final budget reconciliation package. There are, for example, a number of provisions designed to strengthen Obamacare via the reconciliation route that will be added into the final bill.
Second observation: Isn’t it good to finally have people in positions of power again who know how to play these games for the right reasons?
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