A House Appropriations subcommittee advanced the fiscal 2027 Interior-Environment spending bill Thursday morning, with Democrats seizing on the markup to take aim at President Donald Trump’s “vanity projects.”
The Interior-Environment Subcommittee approved on a party-line vote of 7-5 the $38.9 billion bill, which includes a 20 percent cut to EPA, or about $1.8 billion, and a less than 2 percent increase to $15.24 billion for the Interior Department.
“Altogether, this bill takes a conservative and commonsense approach to managing our nation’s resources,” said full committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.). “It reduces regulatory burdens, protects American jobs and unleashes domestic energy.”
But Democrats used the markup to hammer their latest messaging strategy, disparaging the Trump administration for focusing on projects like the White House ballroom and a proposed triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery at a time when gasoline prices have spiked for consumers.
