ConservAmerica Vice President of Policy Todd Johnston released the following statement today upon the introduction of the Ocean Restoration Research and Development Act of 2024 (H.R. 7797). The legislation was introduced by Roosevelt Conservation Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01):
“This bill could be a game changer when it comes to restoring our oceans and mitigating the impacts of a changing climate.
Read MoreIn February 2023, Rep. Andrew Ogles (R-Tenn.) and 20 of his Republican colleagues introduced a straightforward piece of legislation. The bill declared, “Public Law 117–169 (commonly referred to as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022) is repealed.”
It’s easy to understand why these members felt this way. Six months earlier, in August 2022, President Joe Biden and the Democratic Congress had jammed through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on a party-line vote. The bill was hatched by Democratic leadership working within its own caucus, and there was little attempt to attract the other party.
Read MoreCongress delivered a major blow to Beijing’s ambitions in the Pacific last week by officially recommitting to another 20 years of support for Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.
Collectively known as the Freely Associated States (FAS), these three nations are uniquely tied to the United States through the Compacts of Free Association (COFAs), which grants us military jurisdiction over a vital region in the Pacific in exchange for economic assistance and citizenship privileges.
Read MoreConservAmerica President Jeff Kupfer sat down recently with Roosevelt Conservation Caucus member and U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR). Earlier this month, Chairman Westerman unveiled the America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act (AWCHA). This legislation, H.R. 7408, H.R. 7408, would make investments of $320 million in grant funding and give states the opportunity and support to enact their congressionally mandated wildlife action plans.
Read MoreConservAmerica joined a broad coalition this week in filing comments on the Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Services’ proposed regulations regarding section 45V of the Internal Revenue Code. Passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, section 45V seeks to accelerate the production of clean hydrogen through a 10-year production tax credit.
“While we support the efforts of the U.S. Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate investments in clean hydrogen production, we fear the proposal could have the opposite effect,” said ConservAmerica Vice President of Policy Todd Johnston.
Read MoreOn Tuesday, February 20, ConservAmerica hosted an expert panel for a discussion on the Chevron Doctrine. For nearly 40 years, the Supreme Court has applied a doctrine of deference to federal agency interpretation where Congress has not been explicit on a particular matter. The legal doctrine known as Chevron deference has in many cases led to government overreach, impinging upon the personal liberties and freedoms of property owners and hard-working Americans. To view the webinar video replay, click here or on the image below.
Read MoreConservAmerica Senior Policy Advisor Quill Robinson recently spoke to E&E News by Politico to comment on an emerging Republican climate strategy.
Quill Robinson, a senior adviser at ConservAmerica, a group seeking to get conservatives to back environmental policies, agreed it was worthwhile to distinguish between rhetoric and actual policy proposals when it comes to parsing Trump’s positions.
Read MoreConservAmerica President Jeff Kupfer sat down with Roosevelt Conservation Caucus CoChair Congressman Buddy Carter (R-GA) recently to discuss his new position as Chair of the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee. Jeff and Congressman Carter also touched on the need for an all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Endangered Species Act.
Read MoreOn January 26, President Joe Biden announced a “pause” on federal approval for new liquefied natural gas (LNG)–export terminals. While the Department of Energy’s indefinite suspension and order for new environmental analyses may keep the president’s reelection hopes above water, it will harm America’s long-term economic and geopolitical interests. Further, the policy may not even serve its ostensible purpose of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
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