John Fischer, CNN • Updated 29th July 2018
( CNN ) — The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the largest climate change research program in U.S. history with President Donald Trump likely to sign the bill into law.
“This bill represents a paradigm shift in climate policy in the United States and around the world,” Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) said in a news release. “For too long, our committee has put partisanship over the needs of our economy. Now, in partnership with Democrats, we’ve passed the largest expenditure on climate change research in our nation’s history.”
The bill approves $100 million for research and $100 million in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s research on climate change.
The new bill also requires the EPA to submit a strategy to comply with state and tribal air quality standards before the end of the year.
As expected, there was no input from the EPA on the bill.
The bill was approved by unanimous consent in the House Tuesday evening and goes to the president for his signature.
“This is tremendous news. This $100 million is a direct investment in communities of color, poor communities, Appalachia and the Gulf Coast, communities devastated by Hurricane Harvey and other extreme weather events. It is also a major investment in research into how these issues affect the health and economic well-being of every American,” said Nicole Lurie, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.
“This bill also provides for smart implementation of the Clean Power Plan, the effective balancing of the needs of the environment and American communities, and the improvement of carbon capture and sequestration technology.
“EPA will take swift action to comply with the state and tribal air quality standards, while investing in communities to prepare for disasters, plant trees, and make energy efficient improvements. EPA will continue to take action to address climate change, protect drinking water and clean air, and cut pollution from oil, gas and coal production and manufacturing.”