House Votes to Unleash American Production, Lower Energy Costs

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives met to consider the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025. The measure was approved by a vote of 210 to 205.

Interior and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson (R-ID) said, “The FY25 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act will help reduce energy costs, protect American jobs, and ensure that we can continue to access our public lands to recreate, hunt, and develop our natural resources. I am proud that this fiscally responsible bill reins in unnecessary spending and rejects the Biden Administration's misguided regulatory agenda. In crafting this bill, I vowed to protect essential programs vital to states and local communities. I am pleased that the FY25 Interior and Environment Appropriations Act safeguards these programs by fully funding the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, addresses needs across our Tribal communities, and includes a permanent pay fix for wildland firefighter pay. I thank Chairman Cole for his leadership and guidance and my colleagues' support on the floor today.”

Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said, “With good stewardship as our compass, the FY25 Interior bill ensures every resource is used wisely and effectively. We thoughtfully manage our public lands and conservation efforts, and direct taxpayer dollars where they are most impactful. From hiking to hunting, the measure protects the ability of Americans to enjoy the great outdoors, including funding that backs the work of our brave federal wildland firefighters. It also supports the security of U.S. energy and mineral independence by expanding domestic production and exploration. I especially commend the strong investments in Native American education, law enforcement, and health care priorities – all of which received substantial increases. Honoring our trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal communities is vital to my district and a national obligation. Overall, today’s passage reflects the impact of this legislation on our exceptional country and Chairman Simpson’s leadership.”

Subcommittee Chairman Simpson’s floor remarks are available here.

Chairman Cole's floor remarks are available here.

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025

The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $38.478 billion, which is $72 million (0.2%) below the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level and $4.407 billion (10%) below the President’s Budget Request. The bill also rescinds $55 million of Department of the Interior funding for the Presidio Trust provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The bill fully funds the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program and prioritizes funding for Tribes and Wildland Fire Management, including permanently addressing wildland firefighter pay. In addition, the bill provides a $2.75 billion fire suppression cap adjustment as authorized.

The bill meets the programmatic needs while rightsizing agency funding levels, including a $1.79 billion (20%) reduction to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Key Takeaways

• Strengthens our national security and promotes domestic energy production by:
  • Requiring the Secretary of the Interior to:
    • Resume quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales.
    • Issue 5-year offshore oil and gas leasing programs on time.
    • Conduct lease sales in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, the Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, and the Alaska region.
    • Conduct Lease Sale 262.
  • Prohibiting funds to cancel oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.
  • Expanding access to critical minerals by blocking certain Bureau of Land Management withdrawals in Minnesota and reinstating mineral leases in the Superior National Forest.
  • Prohibiting the EPA from imposing the methane fee on oil and gas producers created by the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act.
  • Ensuring ancillary mining activities, including exploration operations and construction of a mine access road, are permitted with or without the discovery of a valuable mineral deposit.
• Prioritizes funding for public safety and critical programs by:
  • Providing $2.81 billion (+14.5%) for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, including $746 million for Public Safety and Justice programs, which is 34% above the FY24 enacted level.
  • Providing $1.47 billion for the Bureau of Indian Education (+7.5%), including $271 million for Education Construction, which is 15% above the FY24 enacted level.
  • Providing $8.56 billion for the Indian Health Service (+23%) along with $5.98 billion in advance appropriations for FY26.
  • Fully funding PILT estimated to be $600 million, which is $85 million above the FY24 enacted level.
  • Providing $3.6 billion, which is $177 million above the FY24 enacted level, for wildfire activities and permanently addressing wildland firefighter pay and capacity, without using irresponsible budget gimmicks requested by the Administration.
• Reins in the Biden Administration’s job-killing regulatory agenda by:
  • Ensuring chemical and pesticide manufacturers are not overburdened with requirements that would drive business overseas and threaten American competitiveness.
  • Blocking EPA’s car regulations on light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles.
  • Prohibiting the EPA from allowing California to require that new small off-road engines, such as lawn care equipment, be zero-emission.
  • Limiting abuse of the Endangered Species Act regarding species such as the sage-grouse, the gray wolf, the lesser-prairie chicken, and the dunes sagebrush lizard.
  • Addressing the harmful impacts of the Cottonwood decision to improve forest management.
  • Blocking the Administration’s NEPA rules that give agencies broad leeway to incorporate climate change in permitting, allow preferential treatment for some projects over others, and include social cost of carbon in permit evaluations.
  • Prohibiting funds for the EPA’s Clean Power Plan 2.0 and regulatory overreach regarding ozone emissions, particulate matter, and steam electric power plants.
• Protects access to our public lands by:
  • Blocking restrictions on hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on federal lands.
  • Stopping the Bureau of Land Management’s Conservation and Landscape Health rule to ensure continued access to public lands for grazing, recreation, and energy development.
  • Prohibiting multiple U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rulings used to weaponize the Endangered Species Act against land users and energy producers.
  • Blocking a regulation that would make it harder for Americans to use traditional ammunition and fishing tackle.
  • Prohibiting restrictions on where standard lead ammunition and fishing tackle can be used on certain federal lands or waters unless conditions are met.
  • Stopping the Administration’s 30x30 initiative to ensure access to federal lands for mineral exploration and development.
• Focuses the Executive Branch on its core responsibilities by:
  • Reducing funding for the EPA by 20%.
  • Eliminating all discretionary funding for the Presidio Trust and rescinding $55 million provided to the Presidio through the Inflation Reduction Act.
  • Reducing funding for the Council on Environmental Quality to the authorized level of $1 million.
  • Blocking funds for the American Climate Corps, Climate Justice Alliance, and ecogrief counseling.
  • Rejecting eight of the Administration’s climate change executive orders.
  • Prohibiting agencies from using the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) in cost-benefit analyses and blocking the Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases.
• Supports American values and principles by:
  • Prohibiting the use of funds to promote or advance critical race theory.
  • Prohibiting implementation of the Biden Administration’s executive orders on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
  • Prohibiting funds for COVID-19 mask or vaccine mandates.
  • Prohibiting funds for the National Park Service to provide housing to an alien without lawful status.
  • Ensuring only approved flags are flown over agency facilities.
  • Prohibiting funds for moral conviction discriminatory action.

A summary of the bill, before adoption of amendments, is available here.

Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available here.

Bill report is available here.

A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

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