FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2025
Contact: Ashley Sullivan, ashley.sullivan@weact.org, 1-917-837-1183
WASHINGTON – Last week, Congress moved forward with a Continuing Resolution following the longest Federal government shutdown in U.S. history. This was an important effort on behalf of Democrats to fight for the right to healthcare and for constituents across the country. As we look towards the January 30th funding deadline, we urge leaders to continue forward with courageous willingness to stand strong for healthcare, as well as vital environmental justice and community supporting funds. This is particularly true as we reflect on the impact of the Republican government shutdown and overall hostile administration, especially for communities of color and low-income, who have been forced to bear the brunt of attacks on environmental protections and funding over the last year. While the Republican majority across the Federal government continues to betray working class families to support polluter giveaways making people sick and taking away essential public health lifelines, WE ACT continues to demand adequate funding for vital programs that protect our health, our lives, and our future.
In response, Leslie Fields, Chief Federal Officer at WE ACT for Environmental Justice shares,
“As we face the dawn of a new year and the hope of a better one, we continue to demand that our elected officials stand strong to fund life-saving programs for our communities in the Federal budget. The past year, we have seen the most intentionally destructive efforts by any recent administration to remove urgent programs and policies that protect communities of color and people of low-income who are already the most vulnerable to adverse health and environmental impacts. We need leaders who can take actions that transition us away from disproportionate health-harming pollution and towards clean renewable energy and climate adaptation policies that support fair access to healthy and safe environments. We need leaders to adequately fund our government in good faith, and we continue to push for a budget that works for the people instead of against them.”
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WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a Northern Manhattan membership-based organization whose mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low-income residents participate meaningfully in the creation of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices. WE ACT has offices in New York and Washington, D.C. Visit us at weact.org and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram.