WESTPORT, Conn. — State leaders met on Monday to discuss the potential environmental impacts of the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act.
The more than $700 billion bill tackles healthcare, taxes and climate change, but not all Connecticut legislators are convinced.
“The environment is about our future,” said Gov. Ned Lamont. “The environment is about holding down costs to homeowners and it's also about really good paying jobs. They work in harmony. I like to think here in Connecticut, we understand that.”
Supporters said this measure will reduce costs related to increasing temperatures, minimize property damage from natural disasters, as well as fund rebates and tax credits for residents who take steps to make their homes more energy efficient, like installing updated appliances.
The bill also provides $2.6 billion in competitive grant money nationwide, for local environmental preservation programs.
“The starting gun has fired,” said Katie Scharf Dykes, commissioner of the Connecticut Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection. “This legislation is not self-executing and having leaders in Hartford and here in Connecticut, supportive legislators makes all the difference so that we at the department can help communities compete and bring these dollars home.”
The Inflation Reduction Act faced unanimous Republican opposition when it passed through Congress in August.
“The question for everyone who's going to be on the ballot this November is, where do you stand on climate change and the inflation reduction Act?,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal’s GOP challenger, Leora Levy, calls it “nothing more than smoke and mirrors."
“Blumenthal once again chose to march forward lockstep with Biden, supporting a bill with no measurable benefit on our climate, while raising taxes on the middle-class during a recession, driving inflation with more reckless spending, and creating 87,000 new IRS agents to go after hard-working Connecticut families and small businesses," she said in a statement. "Blumenthal is a career politician and out of touch. No amount of deception and empty promises will make voters forget he elected to raise taxes at a time when American Families are struggling.”
State legislators disagree.
“It's frustrating that national politics is taking one side or the other,” said Sen. Tony Hwang. “It's not finding solutions.”
Hwang said this bill is an opportunity for nonprofits and municipalities to fund the work they’ve already been doing to address environmental concerns.
“Environmental consideration, climate change is overwhelmingly bipartisan,” Hwang said. “We have an important responsibility to leave our community, our our natural habitat, to the future generations. It’s a duty that we have to have.”
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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