The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday voted down a Democratic push to allow federal spending on an international climate change program.
Rep. Nita Lowey (N.Y.), the ranking Democrat on the panel, proposed an amendment to the House’s State Department and foreign operations spending bill that would let the federal government contribute to the United Nations’ Green Climate Fund (GCF). Republicans have looked to block that funding.
“Preventing the U.S. from making a contribution is short-sighted because we cannot solve climate change alone. It requires multilateral partnerships,” Lowey said.
“The Green Climate Fund is the only multilateral institution that supports clean, resilient development around the world. It is an institution we should be leading.”
Lowey’s GCF measure was tucked into a broader amendment restoring funding for a wide variety of Democratic foreign affairs priorities, including refugee admissions, policies toward Cuba and funding for other United Nations offices.
Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) opposed the entire amendment and said the Green Climate Fund “amendment would strike language preventing the administration from carrying out its harmful climate change policies.”
The measure failed on a 20-29 vote.