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One Big Beautiful Bill or one big step back? The environmental impacts of H.R. 1 

H.R. 1 repeals and weakens clean energy programs and promotes fossil fuel development on public lands

by Attilio Archi Abarca-Bodden
June 26, 2025
in Commentary
0

By Attilio Abarca-Bodden 

Last month, House Republicans passed H.R. 1, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” an enormous budget reconciliation package that is now being considered by the Senate. 

This budget reconciliation package, not to be confused with a regular bill, touches on nearly every single domain of federal governance including taxes, immigration, the environment, social services, tax reform and defense. This package is a massive statement on the current ideological policy direction of the majority party. 

Unlike regular bills, which requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, a budget reconciliation package only needs a simple majority in both chambers, which Republicans currently have. However, this only applies to provisions that directly impact federal revenues or spending. This makes reconciliation packages a powerful tool to enact legislative agendas without bipartisan support, especially for fiscal and budgetary changes. 

Wind turbines and solar panels in the California desert (iStock image)
H.R. 1 guts clean energy programs in the Inflation Reduction Act (iStock image)

H.R. 1 uses this process as leverage to push through a wide range of structural changes, many of which would struggle to survive a regular Senate debate. Although H.R. 1 is an enormous piece of legislation, with some aspects that I do agree with, most of the environmental and climate-related elements in the bill are flat-out silly. The bill would make numerous negative policy changes in regard to the environment, inflicting serious repercussions on future generations through environmental deregulation, fossil fuel extraction and a general disregard for our planet. 

H.R. 1 contains some of the most destructive environmental rollbacks in recent legislative memory. Instead of leading the world in a transition to clean energy, H.R. 1 repeals and weakens clean energy programs, weakens regulatory authority and promotes fossil fuel development on public lands. Make no mistake, these are calculated moves with massive negative consequences for our climate, environment and Earth. 

The bill guts many of the programs in the Inflation Reduction Act, the biggest piece of climate legislation in history. Section 42103 repeals the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which provided billions in financing for clean energy and environmental justice. Section 42101 repeals funding for clean heavy-duty vehicles, undermining decarbonization of the transportation sector. Sections 42102 to 42106 rescind grants aimed at reducing air pollution in ports and schools as well as programs addressing diesel emissions. Section 42117 eliminates environmental and climate justice block grants, which were targeted to support frontline and disadvantaged communities. 

Section 41005 mandates expedited permitting for energy projects, reducing environmental review timelines. Section 41006 fast-tracks pipeline approvals for carbon dioxide, hydrogen and petroleum projects – effectively opening the door to rapid fossil-fuel expansion. Section 80171 mandates offshore oil and gas lease sales, locking in decades of new extraction. Sections 801121 to 80122 reinstate drilling projects in Alaska’s Arctic regions, including the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

Section 42201 repeals the Environmental Protection Agency’s multi-pollutant emissions standards for light and medium-duty vehicles. Section 42301 repeals the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rule on Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards (CAFE standards), weakening fuel efficiency benchmarks. Section 42111 eliminates funding for greenhouse gas corporate reporting, removing a key transparency and accountability tool. 

Attilio Abarca-Bodden
Attilio Abarca-Bodden

Section 42115 revokes funds for the EPA to conduct efficient, accurate and timely environmental reviews. Sections 112001 to 112007 terminate tax credits for clean vehicles, energy efficient homes, residential clean energy systems and clean hydrogen. Sections 112008 to 112015 begin phasing out and restricting credits for clean energy production and advanced manufacturing. Section 112013 eliminates the clean hydrogen production pathway to zero carbon fuel. 

Setting technical jargon aside, what this all means is that H.R. 1 represents a coordinated rollback of America’s most meaningful climate investments through gutting the Inflation Reduction Act, one of our most comprehensive climate investments in history. While the majority party may say these rollbacks advance “energy independence” and “deregulation,” what they’re actually doing is doubling down on fossil fuel extraction and usage at the exact moment the world is calling for clean energy. 

I would love to ask the majority party one very simple question: What gives us more energy independence, finite gas or infinite renewable energy? 

Attilio Abarca-Bodden is an environmental activist with experience working in the House of Representatives and drafting both international and domestic environmental and climate policy through YOUNGO. He is also the Broward County chapter leader for Citizens’ Climate Lobby. 

Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here. To support The Invading Sea, click here to make a donation. If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece to The Invading Sea, email Editor Nathan Crabbe at ncrabbe@fau.edu. 

Tags: clean energy tax creditsclimate justiceCorporate Average Fuel Economy standards (CAFE standards)electric vehiclesGreenhouse Gas Reduction FundInflation Reduction Actoil drillingOne Big Beautiful Bill ActU.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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The Invading Sea is a nonpartisan source for news, commentary and educational content about climate change and other environmental issues affecting Florida. The site is managed by Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Environmental Studies in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.

 

 

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