Whatever you may think of Elon Musk, and it’s probably not super positive, he is right about one thing: the GOP’s reconciliation bill is a “disgusting abomination,” both for our country and the planet.  Yet, hope remains.

As many as 10 Senate Republicans have criticized the current version of the bill, which would ultimately add around $2.4 trillion to the national debt—a far cry from the administration’s goal of fixing it, and even worse when you consider the critically important programs and funding being cut to get there.

We’ve already discussed how the bill would effectively gut the Inflation Reduction Act, increasing electricity and energy costs, throwing away billions of dollars of investment, and rapidly slowing domestic manufacturing growth and the U.S. clean energy transition. We’ve talked about how the proposed cuts are stupid beyond belief—and how some senators agree.

But what we haven’t emphasized enough is the absurdity of this moment. Here’s what we mean:

As our leaders debate steep cuts to the most powerful piece of climate legislation in American history, communities across the southeastern United States are bracing for another devastating, climate-fueled hurricane season—one that promises to be even worse thanks to the gutting of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

And rather than fighting to protect the parts of the Inflation Reduction Act that mitigate climate change—a known, powerful, and preventable contributor to this devastation—many of our representatives are looking for ways to give the fossil fuel industry more handouts and make the ultra-rich even richer.

Defeating the worst this budget bill has to offer for our climate and environment remains our number one priority. Join us this week—and every week until a budget bill is passed—as we continue to make our voices heard!