Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) has intriduced his sixth Shrink our Spending Initiative bill focused on highlighting and cutting wasteful, taxpayer-funded programs. The latest bill is designed to eliminate federal funding for the EPA’s Science and Technology Fund.
The EPA’s Science and Technology account is used to direct federal funding for research related to global warming and climate change research. Additionally, their science and technology research areas include sustainable practices, ecosystems, health, and more. This research should be consolidated and conducted through the Department of Energy. Having it spread across departments and agencies results in duplication and lack of streamlined, efficient research spending. Eliminating this account will save American taxpayers $734,648,000.
“The EPA is charged with protecting human health and the environment. They are a regulatory and enforcement body—promulgating rules that attempt to restrict harmful activities. Unfortunately, the EPA has gotten side-tracked with a Science and Technology Account of almost three-quarters of a billion dollars that is used as a slush fund to conduct scientific research,” stated Salmon.
“The worst part is that this research is already conducted, and paid for, by the federal government. Americans don’t need to pay for research in the Department of Energy, and then pay the EPA to do it again. Let’s cut this duplicative waste and keep our regulators focused on their jobs,” concluded Salmon.