Republicans Grow Increasingly Concerned about FY22 Bills

Jun 28, 2021
Press Release

WASHINGTON – Today, the subcommittees on Interior and Environment and State and Foreign Operations met to consider their appropriations bills for fiscal year 2022. The measures were reported out to the full committee with concerns raised by Republicans.
 
Ranking Member Kay Granger (R-TX), the lead Republican for the Appropriations Committee, said of the measures, "As we continue through subcommittee markups, Republicans continue to point out significant problems with the bills – from irresponsible spending levels to partisan policy proposals that divide us.
 
“The bills addressed today are no different, including provisions that strike longstanding pro-life protections and pile on burdensome regulations. I hope that these will be eliminated before floor consideration.”
 
Troublesome funding levels and provisions:

Interior and Environment

  • Includes a $7.3 billion or a 20 percent increase in discretionary spending.
  • Drops longstanding, bipartisan provisions that prevent Sage-Grouse from being listed under the Endangered Species Act and exempt farmers and livestock producers from burdensome greenhouse gas permitting and reporting requirements.
  • Continues dependency on foreign minerals by prohibiting funding to review or approve a mine plan in the Rainy River Watershed in Minnesota.
  • Restricts funding for offshore oil and gas activities to only areas included in the Obama-era leasing plan.

 
State and Foreign Operations
  

  • Includes a $6.7 billion or a 12 percent increase in discretionary spending.
  • Drops or weakens long-standing pro-life language:
    • Removes the “Helms” Amendment, which prohibits foreign aid from being used for abortion;
    • Weakens the “Kemp-Kasten” provision on coercive abortion; and
    • Also includes a permanent prohibition on the Mexico City policy, which prohibits Federal funding from going to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion services.
  • Unwisely supports United Nations (UN) activities by:
    • Increasing funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA);
    • Weakening conditions on the UN Human Rights Council and UN Relief and Works Agency; and
    • Paying peacekeeping dues above the statutory rate of 25 percent. 
  • Includes full funding and no conditions on the World Health Organization.
  • Funds $1.6 billion for the Green Climate Fund.


Ranking Member Granger’s remarks on each subcommittee are linked below:
Interior and Environment FY22 Subcommittee Markup
State and Foreign Operations FY22 Subcommittee Markup

117th Congress