Voters Oppose the Trump Administration’s NEPA Rollbacks
By Marcela Mulholland and Danielle Deiseroth
Last month the Trump Administration announced rollbacks of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a 50-year-old environmental law which requires major federal infrastructure projects, such as highways, to undergo environmental review with opportunities for public feedback. The Trump administration claims the NEPA rollbacks are intended to speed up the permitting process, regardless of the environmental costs of doing so. In the past, NEPA has been an invaluable tool for stopping environmentally harmful projects like the Keystone XL pipeline and ensuring clean air and water for communities across the country. This is just the latest rollback in a series of environmental policy reversals that Trump and his administration have consistently prioritized since taking office.
In addition to exposing frontline communities, which are disproportionately low-income communities of color, to more harmful pollution, the rollbacks are also part of the Trump administration’s anti-climate agenda. The new revisions to NEPA will allow federal agencies to move forward with infrastructure projects without having to consider their cumulative or indirect environmental impacts. In practice, this means projects can move forward without consideration or analysis of their climate impact. These moves may be popular with oil and gas billionaires, but not so much amongst voters.
As part of a July survey, we asked voters several questions about the NEPA rollbacks. First, we asked voters if they agree or disagree that the government should review the environmental impacts of new public infrastructure projects, such as highways, before they are approved. Voters agree that the government should conduct environmental reviews of new infrastructure projects by a 50-percentage-point margin (66 percent agree, 16 percent disagree). This proposal enjoys high levels of support across party lines: A majority of voters who self-identify as Democrats (70 percent), Independents (63 percent), and Republicans (62 percent) all agree that the government should conduct environmental reviews of new public infrastructure projects.
Next, we provided voters with a short description of NEPA and the Trump administration’s proposed rollbacks. We provided arguments for and against the rollbacks, and then asked if voters support or oppose them. Overall, a plurality of all voters (49 percent) oppose the Trump administration’s rollbacks to NEPA. A majority of Democrats (70 percent) and a plurality of Independents (42 percent) oppose the rollbacks. However, a majority of Republicans (59 percent) support the rollbacks.
Opposition against the Trump administration’s NEPA rollbacks holds steady even when voters see partisan arguments for and against the rollbacks. Despite seeing the Republican arguments in support of the rollbacks, a plurality of all voters (47 percent) still oppose the Trump administration’s NEPA rollbacks. Even with partisan framing, opposition is nearly unchanged among Democrats (68 percent) and Independents (43 percent). The rollbacks are supported, however, by a majority of Republicans (56 percent).
These findings build upon the broader shifts we are seeing as voters enthusiastically embrace progressive climate policies. Though Republicans are in support of NEPA rollbacks when presented with partisan arguments, a majority of Republicans did agree that new public infrastructure projects should undergo environmental review. Democrats should tap into this existing degree of support from Republicans and emphasize the urgency, importance, and voter support to strengthen existing and pass new environmental protections. While Trump and his administration blatantly undermine a bedrock piece of American environmental policy to put more profits in the hands of polluters, voters are not buying it. If former Vice President Joe Biden wins the White House in November, he will have no shortage of Trump era environmental policy rollbacks and reversals to address. Given the support that voters express for keeping NEPA in place, Biden should make it a day one priority to undo these damaging rollbacks and build upon their legacy to protect our air, land and water.
Marcela Mulholland (@x3Marcela_) is Deputy Director for Climate for Data for Progress
Danielle Deiseroth (@danielledeis) is the Climate Data Analyst for Data for Progress
Survey Methodology:
From July 31 to August 1, 2020, Data for Progress conducted a survey of 1,098 likely voters nationally using web panel respondents. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, and voting history. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error is +/- 3 percent
Survey Questions:
Do you agree or disagree that the government should review the environmental impacts of new public infrastructure projects, such as highways, before they are approved?
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly disagree
Don’t know
Recently, President Trump made major cuts to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a 50-year-old law that requires the government to review the environmental impacts of public infrastructure projects, such as highways, before they are approved.
Supporters of the cuts say that NEPA regulations are too restrictive and are just another example of government bureaucracy.
Opponents of the cuts say that NEPA regulations help ensure that the government does not approve projects that increase pollution and contribute to climate change. Do you support or oppose the Trump administration’s cuts to NEPA?
Strongly support
Somewhat support
Somewhat oppose
Strongly oppose
Don’t know
Recently, President Trump made major cuts to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a 50-year-old law that requires the government to review the environmental impacts of public infrastructure projects, such as highways, before they are approved.
Democrats say that NEPA regulations help ensure that the government does not approve projects that increase pollution and contribute to climate change.
Republicans say that NEPA regulations are too restrictive and are just another example of government bureaucracy. Do you support or oppose the Trump administration’s cuts to NEPA regulations?
Strongly support
Somewhat support
Somewhat oppose
Strongly oppose
Don’t know