Senate appropriators are balking at White House plans to end federal support for the popular Energy Star program, as well as funding for state and local air regulators.
The legislation approved 26-2 Thursday by the Senate Appropriations Committee would give Energy Star, which certifies the energy efficiency of home appliances, $36 million in fiscal 2026, roughly the same amount it is receiving this year. Federal grants for state and local air agencies would similarly be level-funded at about $236 million.
In a rhetorically noteworthy gesture, the committee also recommended “increased resources” to help those regulators “address greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality monitoring and outcomes, and reduce disproportionate exposure to dangerous pollution in communities,” according to the accompanying bill report.
None of those are priorities for the Trump administration, which has sought to gut both environmental justice initiatives and efforts to limit releases of heat-trapping greenhouse gases.
