House Spending Bill is a Betrayal of the American People

WASHINGTON (February 19, 2011)  – The House today passed a 359-page spending bill without holding a single hearing or committee vote. The following is a statement by Scott Slesinger, legislative director of the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“The House vote is a betrayal of the American people. It demonstrates beyond any doubt that the people’s house has been railroaded by the Tea Party into adopting a bill that would eliminate countless safeguards that protect our air, water, land and oceans.

 “The measure also is stuffed with earmarks designed to benefit specific industries seeking exemptions from laws that apply to everyone else. These provisions will lead to dirtier air and water, more endangered species and fewer open spaces, and greater dependence on foreign sources of oil.

“If the House continues to cling to positions that recent polls have shown are squarely at odds with the wishes of the American people, a government shutdown may be unavoidable, for President Obama and the Senate leadership have rightly declared this bill dead on arrival.”