Today, the House Appropriations Committee introduced the Fiscal Year 2026 bill for the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. The bill is set for consideration in subcommittee on July 15th at 10:00 a.m., with the markup to be live-streamed on the Committee’s website.
Interior and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson emphasized the bill’s focus on fiscal responsibility. “The Fiscal Year 2026 Interior and Environment Appropriations Act does just that by right-sizing federal agencies, promoting domestic energy and mineral production, and reversing harmful Biden-era policies,” said Simpson. He also noted that the bill protects essential programs like Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), investments in Indian Country, and Wildland Fire Management.
Chairman Tom Cole remarked on the bill’s management of public lands and energy development while reducing wasteful spending. “It prioritizes undoing costly, burdensome Biden-era regulations to protect U.S. jobs and promote growth,” Cole stated.
The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill proposes a total discretionary allocation of $37.971 billion, marking a $2.54 billion reduction from the previous fiscal year. It emphasizes American energy independence and agency funding adjustments including a notable reduction to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Key aspects include bolstering national security by reducing reliance on foreign minerals through domestic resource access promotion; supporting Tribal Public Safety with increased funding; championing American energy dominance; prohibiting certain Biden Administration initiatives; safeguarding taxpayer dollars; blocking restrictive regulations impacting families and industry; protecting access to public lands by stopping new restrictions on recreational activities.
A summary of the bill is available online along with its text for further review.
