The League of Conservation Voters led 12 environmental organizations in sending the below letter to the House of Representatives urging Members to oppose the following amendments to H.R. 8771, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025, when they come up for votes. The League of Conservation Voters will strongly consider including votes related to these amendments in our 2024 National Environmental Scorecard.

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June 26, 2024

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Re: Amendment Vote Recommendations on H.R. 8771, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025.

Dear Member of Congress,

On behalf of our many members and supporters, the 12 undersigned groups call on you to OPPOSE the following amendments to H.R. 8771, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025. While not all undersigned organizations work directly on each of these issues, we appreciate your consideration of these pro-environmental positions.

Thank you for your consideration,

League of Conservation Voters

CCAN Action Fund

Clean Water Action

Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks

Earthjustice

Earthworks

Friends of the Earth Action

Natural Resources Defense Council

Oceana

Ocean Defense Initiative

Oxfam America

Sierra Club

Vote NO

2. Brecheen (OK) This amendment would cut all US contributions to the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which is one of the longest lived multilateral environmental funds with an established record of confronting global challenges including biodiversity loss and wildlife trafficking, land degradation, toxic chemicals and plastic pollution. The GEF also helps protect globally important forests and fish stocks, which are vital to developing communities’ livelihood and food security as well as global supply chains. US investments in the GEF yields a high rate of return: every US dollar leverages $40 more from partner countries, NGOs and the private sector. In 2022, the fund underwent its eighth replenishment, raising $5.3 billion in pledges from 29 governments, including emerging economies such as Brazil, China, India, and South Africa. Walking away from the GEF would send a powerful signal to allies and competitors alike that the U.S. is not a reliable partner and threaten our ability to help developing countries address biodiversity loss and other global environmental challenges.

4. Burchett (TN), 17. Greene (GA), 18. Greene (GA), and 49. Ogles (TN) Any amendments to arbitrarily and punitively eliminate or drastically cut salaries for federal government officials are personal financial attacks on individuals whose job it is to carry out the administration’s policies and are wholly inappropriate and unwarranted. Top officials directing important federal government business should be fairly paid for their work, and any attacks on government officials’ pay should be rejected.

6. Burchett (TN) This amendment would prohibit funding for the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Although the base bill prohibits funding for all special envoys, or substantially similar roles that have not been authorized by Congress, this provision singles out the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate for special attention, politicizing an issue and position that addresses the cross-cutting ways that climate change affects U.S foreign policy, diplomatic, and security interests. The Special Envoy is the face of the US in international diplomatic discussions around climate change, and without such dedicated leadership, the US risks ceding ground to other countries, weakening our standing with key partners, and undercutting our ability to shape the outcomes of critical and ongoing international climate negotiations.

9. Cammack (FL) Federal public interest agencies issue rules that protect public health and safety, preserve natural resources, safeguard our air and water, and provide other crucial benefits to people nationwide. Arbitrarily restricting rules would put the public and the environment at risk.

20. Greene (GA) This amendment to fully cut funding to USAID would undermine one of the world’s most important foreign assistance agencies. USAID plays a vital role in protecting globally important biodiversity and natural resources while also addressing climate change globally by partnering with under-resourced countries in their efforts to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate impacts.

59. Spartz (IN) and 68. Tiffany (WI) Barring discretionary funding for the UN would hamstring US influence in shaping global rules and norms at exactly the moment other major powers are seeking to maximize their influence and diminish the US’s role. A funding prohibition would undercut US influence in the mission of critical UN agencies such as UNICEF to protect children’s lives and fulfill their potential, the FAO to fight global hunger, and the UNFCCC to support the global response to the climate crisis.

63. Tenney (NY) President Biden’s Executive Order on Access to Voting is a critical effort to increase nonpartisan voter registration and participation when people interact with government agencies. This amendment would thwart common-sense, good-government innovations to better serve voters of all stripes, frustrating the goals of the decades-old, bipartisan National Voter Registration Act.