ICYMI: Latino Communities Among Hardest Hit by Federal Funding Cuts, Environmental Panel Concludes During National Bilingual Conversation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 8, 2025 Contact: Elena Gaona, egaona@lcv.org, 202-907-9717 Chispa, Climate Power en Accion, and TX Rep. Escobar outline impacts and solutions to clean air, health, household costs, clean energy, and good jobs for Latine families and neighborhoods Washington, D.C. – During a national bilingual conversation hosted virtually by Chispa LCV on Wednesday, May 7th, Texas Congresswoman Veronica Escobar and environmental leaders from Chispa National, Chispa Texas, Chispa Nevada, Chispa Maryland, and Climate Power en Acción led a discussion about the impacts on Latino communities from the current gutting of federal programs that protect our clean air, clean energy, health, and household costs. Watch the recording and presentation materials here. This conversation took place as federal budget reconciliation negotiations continue in Congress. The sweeping reconciliation bill is slated to gut more essential programs and protections in one of the most anti-environmental bills in our nation’s history. The cuts threaten to worsen the climate, health, and cost impacts on Latino communities, who are experiencing severe health and climate impacts including extreme heat, asthma, bad air quality, and high electricity bills, speakers said. They discussed key programs, such as clean energy tax credits, programs that help families switch to clean energy appliances, Electric School Bus funding for cleaner transportation, and environmental protections that lower costs and protect health while fighting climate change. “The administration has begun to unilaterally undo decades of safeguards that protect our air, water, and public lands. They’ve worked to stop the transition to clean energy sources, kneecap the EPA, and lawlessly canceled billions in federal investments meant to help communities prepare for extreme weather events, reduce pollution, create jobs, lower costs, and slash climate pollution in half by 2030,” Rep. Escobar said. “Pushing back against these policies requires all of us.” “Our Latine communities are feeling multiple threats from rolling back the environmental progress we have made toward clean air, clean water, clean energy, and lower costs of living,” said Estefany Carrasco-Gonzalez, Chispa’s National Senior Director. “And even though they are gutting the most essential clean air and clean water protections for everyone, which are critical to life itself, Latino and communities of color will feel it the most. We want our community to know we can organize and build power to continue to push against these rollbacks, and our communities living with the impacts in their own neighborhoods are in the best position to do so.” “What the Trump administration is doing isn’t abstract—it’s recklessly hurting our communities,” said Antonieta Cádiz, Deputy Executive Director for Climate Power En Acción. “As we head into extreme weather season, Latino families are already facing higher energy bills and the threat of severe storms and extreme heat. These proposed cuts would leave our Latino communities even more exposed. Once again, Trump and Republicans in Congress are showing us who they really serve—it’s not the families living in flood zones or those struggling to cool their homes during the summer heat; it’s their wealthy donors and Big Polluters. If these cuts go through, our families will pay the price.” “We hear from many community members that they are deeply concerned about higher costs. Here in Nevada, utility bills have been going up and up over the last couple of years. We hear from many families who are having to make tough decisions. What can I pawn off this month so I can pay the basic utilities?” said Chispa Nevada Program Director Audrey Peral. “These are choices no family should have to make. But we have no other option. Because of climate change, Nevada has two of the fastest-warming cities in the country, so our summers are getting longer and extremely, dangerously hot. This makes air conditioning a necessity to survive, not a luxury. We can’t afford higher prices. Our community is organizing to fight back and defend the programs that save us money and reduce pollution.” The conversation also included remarks from Chispa Texas State Program Director Elida Castillo and Chispa Maryland Organizing Manager Morena Zelaya, as well as attendance from Chispa community members and environmental leaders from various states. ### About Chispa: Chispa is a program of the League of Conservation Voters and LCV Education Fund. Our mission is to build the power of low-income communities of color across the country to achieve climate justice, community health, and environmental protections while fighting for accountability from polluters and decision-makers.