Dirty Work: An Analysis of H.R. 1

Introduction
At 4:40 a.m. on Saturday, February 19, 2011, the House of Representatives voted 235-189 to pass H.R. 1: the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011. H.R. 1 passed the House with 235 Republican ayes and 186 Democratic and three Republican nays.
Much of the coverage of H.R. 1 has focused on the bill's broad and deep cuts in federal spending, which were made more draconian in order to ensure support from factions within the Republican conference. This analysis, completed by the Democratic Staff of the Natural Resources Committee, at the direction of Ranking Member Markey, highlights provisions in H.R. 1 which would affect existing environmental protections and clean energy development.
This staff analysis demonstrates that, if enacted, H.R. 1 would reverse decades of progress in improving the health of our environment, the safety of American families, and the sustainability of our energy economy.