Democrats’ Environmental Justice Bill Approved by House Panel

Environmental justice legislation that would put the cumulative impacts of air and water pollution for marginalized communities front and center for environmental permitting was approved Wednesday by the House Natural Resources panel on a party-line vote.

The Environmental Justice For All Act (H.R. 2021), introduced in March 2021 by Committee Chair Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), advanced in a 26-21 vote.

Democrats voted down most of the roughly two dozen Republican amendments offered, the bulk of which were meant to weaken the broad legislation Grijalva revised last week into a substitute amendment, making minor ...