On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 2025 budget reconciliation bill, which includes the repeal of offshore clean ocean energy credits, cuts to coastal air pollution and methane monitoring and reduction programs, rollbacks of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, and the defunding of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, issued the following statement:
“The provisions in this bill threaten the health and well-being of millions of Latino and American families living on or near coasts and U.S. ports. Once again, communities of color are being asked to bear the disproportionate burden of pollution, environmental degradation, and increasingly severe climate-driven disasters. Latinos are already more likely than non-Hispanic whites to experience intense hurricanes, rising sea levels, and flooding. One in four Latinos lived in a county that faced a federal disaster declaration for flooding, compared to only one in ten non-Latinos.
The bill’s elimination of offshore wind tax credits and the ability to transfer clean energy incentives will stall critical renewable energy projects, further exacerbating climate change. Meanwhile, slashing funding for the Clean Ports Program allows toxic diesel emissions and stormwater pollution to continue harming Latino neighborhoods near major ports.
The reversal of EPA emissions standards and cuts to funding for methane and greenhouse gas reduction will only accelerate the climate crisis and worsen marine health--jeopardizing coastal fisheries and the safety of working-class communities whose livelihoods depend on clean, healthy oceans.
The defunding of NOAA is especially alarming. NOAA provides critical services that directly benefit Latino communities, including weather alerts, hurricane forecasting, sea-level rise tracking, and marine conservation science. These programs help prepare coastal families for climate emergencies.
These rollbacks will have tangible and far-reaching consequences for the health, economy, and climate resilience of Latino communities. At a time when we should be investing in climate disaster-resilient infrastructure, this bill drags us backward. We urge the U.S. Senate to protect Americans and reject this reconciliation bill. Latino communities cannot--and must not--be left behind.”
The bill makes significant changes to environmental policy, revising or repealing several provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which was passed in 2022. It also includes delays to the implementation of the EPA’s Waste Emissions Charge and rescinds funding for the Methane Emissions Reduction Program.