FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2026
CONTACT: Aaron Bharucha, Public Relations Associate
(509) 429-1699 and epn-press@environmentalprotectionnetwork.org
Compromise Bill Rejects Extreme Cuts to EPA but More Needed to Protect Public Health
Washington D.C. – Today, House and Senate appropriators released a new compromise appropriations package which included the FY26 funding bill for the EPA.
This compromise EPA budget legislation delivers important progress by rejecting the most extreme cuts proposed by the Administration and House Republicans, blocking many harmful policy riders, and reflecting the leadership of Senate appropriators whose bipartisan work helped set expectations for the continuation of EPA’s original mission.
“This bill blocks the worst cuts and policy riders to EPA and shows Congress getting back to its job by passing bipartisan bills rather than relying on short-term stopgaps,” said Marc Boom, Senior Director of Public Affairs at EPN. “It’s a notable step in the right direction, but it doesn’t yet undo the damage to EPA’s capacity to protect public health or prevent further destructive actions by Administrator Zeldin.”
Congress will still need to do more to hold EPA accountable to work for the American people rather than big corporate polluters. Even with this agreement, EPA’s budget remains historically low when adjusted for inflation, continuing a decade-long erosion of the agency’s capacity as its responsibilities have grown. This chart, prepared by EPN staff, illustrates the issue.
The progress found in this bill follows sustained advocacy by former EPA leaders, policy experts and volunteers with the Environmental Protection Network, who urged Congress to reject deep cuts and instead adopt the bipartisan Senate approach. After what EPN has described as “a year of serial shutdown inside EPA,” EPN volunteers will continue to press Congress to finish the job of ensuring EPA is fully resourced, accountable, and able to carry out its proper mission of protecting the American people.
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Founded in 2017, Environmental Protection Network harnesses the expertise of more than 700 former EPA career staff and confirmation-level appointees from Democratic and Republican administrations to provide the unique perspective of former scientists and regulators with decades of historical and subject matter knowledge. Find all of EPN’s recent press statements here.