Washington (September 24, 2009) -- The U.S. Senate passed the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 2010bill today that will provide the U.S. government with the resources to move forward with its top environmental priorities.

Following is a statement by Franz Matzner, acting legislative director, Natural Resources Defense Council:

“The Senate today did the right thing in passing this bill and stopping attempts to undermine environmental protections. The bill includes record investments to enable EPA and other agencies to move forward with their top priorities, including shifting the country to clean energy and limiting greenhouse gas pollution. Thanks to a strong response from the environmental community and other allies, the Senate also helped ensure the impacts of biofuels on the climate are taken into account and resisted efforts to expand destructive off-shore drilling.

“The Senate showed that it is prepared to enact smart policies that will protect the environment, shift the country to clean energy and reduce global warming pollution.”