House Approves “Pig in a Poke” Budget Expanding Fossil Fuel Development Offshore and in Arctic Refuge

WASHINGTON – The House today approved a Fiscal 2018 budget plan and Scott Slesinger, legislative director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, issued this statement:

“The House budget is a pig in a poke that big polluters will love. It’s larded with taxpayer-funded giveaways to the fossil fuel industry and the 1 percent. Just one case in point: this budget opens the door to expanded offshore oil drilling in publicly-owned waters, and the iconic Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This budget is fiscal mismanagement at its worst. Instead, Congress should craft a truly responsible budget that protects our public lands and waters and the ways of life they support, not sell them off for private gain.” 

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.​