Reintroduction of Bill to Cut EPA Waste, Save Over $7.5 Billion

To save American taxpayers’ dollars, I reintroduced the Wasteful EPA Programs Elimination Act. This bill would terminate or eliminate federal funding for 13 wasteful Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs, would close all EPA field offices, and require the EPA to lease or sell all underutilized properties. The Heritage Foundation estimates this bill would save taxpayers more than $7.5 billion over 10 years.

As a fiscal conservative, I believe Washington should be a good steward of taxpayers’ dollars. Part of being a good steward includes reining in unnecessary spending, holding agencies accountable for "waste," and getting rid of politicians’ "pet projects." For example, American taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for the EPA’s many vacant and underutilized properties that the EPA’s own Inspector General identified as wasteful. My commonsense bill does right by the hardworking Americans, and I hope to see it swiftly move forward.

Specifically, the Wasteful EPA Programs Elimination Act of 2017 would:

1. Terminate the following wasteful programs:
   • All EPA grant programs (and also prohibit the EPA from establishing or implementing any new grant programs)
   • National Clean Diesel Campaign
   • Environmental justice programs
2. Eliminate federal funding for the following:
   • Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program
   • Climate Resilience Fund
   • Climate Resilience Evaluation Awareness Tool
   • Green Infrastructure Program
   • Climate Ready Water Utilities Initiative
   • Regulating greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles
   • Regulating greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants
   • Climate research at the EPA’s Office of Research and Development
3. Prohibit the use of funds for new ozone standards
4. Eliminate and close the EPA’s state, regional, district, local, and field offices
5. Require the EPA to dispose of or lease any property determined by the EPA IG to be underutilized