NE Washington News

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter (R-GA) have raised concerns over the potential misuse of $600 million from the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. The two representatives have written to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan requesting a briefing on the matter.

The Daily Caller reported that the lawmakers had specific concerns about some of the organizations selected as awardees for the program. "Republican Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington and Buddy Carter of Georgia, two leading members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, wrote to Regan to request that his agency brief the committee about its $600 million Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program," stated the publication.

It further reported that these organizations are set to receive tens of millions of dollars to distribute to other groups pursuing 'environmental justice.' “The EPA announced the 11 awardees for the program in December 2023, giving ten organizations $50 million and $100 million to another to use to support other groups in the region advancing 'environmental justice,' a concept that has played a large role in the Biden EPA’s regulatory, grantmaking and enforcement agendas," according to The Daily Caller.

The lawmakers expressed concerns about some recipients including Climate Justice Alliance and Institute for Sustainable Communities, who they allege have previously spent money advancing partisan energy agendas or collaborated with groups suing the government over fossil fuel development.

Their letter concluded by requesting an explanation from Regan on how recipients were chosen, detailing oversight plans, reporting intentions regarding fund usage to Congress, and whether sub-grant recipients will be reported.

Background information suggests that this program may be channeling taxpayer dollars into radical left-wing organizations aiming at protesting against U.S. energy production while supporting their activist agendas. Both Institute for Sustainable Communities and Climate Justice Alliance, which are set to receive $50 million, have been involved in extreme anti-energy activism. They have allegedly donated to groups carrying out illegal protests against American energy projects. Additionally, some grantmakers tasked with disbursing program funds are not located in the EPA region they have been chosen to serve.