House Appropriations subcommittee advances FY2026 Interior and Environment bill after partisan debate

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies voted 8–5 to favorably report the fiscal year 2026 Interior and Environment appropriations bill to the full committee after a contentious markup that split along party lines.

The vote came after more than an hour of opening statements in which members praised sustained funding for tribal programs while sharply criticizing large cuts to environmental protection, national parks and cultural agencies. Subcommittee leaders and members debated reductions to the Environmental Protection Agency, cuts to the National Park Service and proposed policy riders that members said would limit regulatory action on PFAS and other issues.

Chairman Simpson, who opened the markup, said the bill “provides 37,970,000,000,” and highlighted targeted investments for tribal programs and wildfire response. The bill, he said, includes $8,400,000,000 for the Indian Health Service, $1,500,000,000 for the Bureau of Indian Education and $2,900,000,000 for the…