GreenLatinos Is Encouraged The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Crosses Senate Hurdle, Remains Committed to Furthering Climate Justice

Washington, D.C - Over the weekend, the U.S. Senate swiftly passed the historic Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) following decades of advocacy from the climate and environmental justice community. GreenLatinos, along with 23 Latino/a/x organizations and members signed this statement, underscoring the need for the positive environmental components of the IRA and expressing concern over the coal, oil, and gas industry provisions that sacrifice frontline communities air and water, and lock us into a longer fossil fuel-polluted future.

The IRA invests over $360 million in climate and energy security investments that if implemented equitably, could meaningfully improve the lives of Latino/a/x communities across the country. We acknowledge the hard work of Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) and supportive Senators, especially our Latino/a/x Senators, in pushing through those Environmental Justice provisions.

While we are encouraged by this important step on climate action, we must recognize that the IRA also hosts consequential trade offs and compromises that will continue the discriminatory tradition of treating our comunidades like industrial pollution sacrifice zones.

In order to finally heal our communities, it is critical that our progressive congressional champions and the President do everything in their power to ensure we fight against fossil fuel industry sustaining handouts. We call on Congress and the Biden Administration to not waver on their commitment to frontline communities and do everything in their authorities to resolve the bill’s flaws.

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