Polluters Will Pay Under New Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) today introduced H.R. 5983, the National Resilience and Recovery Fund Act, also known as the Polluters Pay Act. The bill would create a new trust fund in the U.S. tax code – the “National Resilience and Recovery Fund” – financed through taxes on major corporate polluters who have long avoided accountability through legal loopholes. 

The fund would be used to support federal resilience and recovery programs that help communities prepare for and respond to climate-related disasters. Endorsing organizations include the League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Fossil Free Media. 

“The climate crisis is real and worsening. Every community is now at risk because of the greed of corporate polluters,” said Rep. Stansbury. “Corporate polluters—not individual taxpayers—should be responsible for the costs. Let’s close these egregious loopholes and end the rampant price gouging of American consumers so communities can build resilience in the face of this crisis.” 

"The climate crisis isn’t just an abstract concept. Americans feel the brunt of its effects every year, whether that’s wildfires, hurricanes and devastating floods or extreme heat. And it’s costing us billions of dollars each year,” said Rep. Balint. “It’s time corporations take on responsibility for their damage. I’m proud to co-lead the National Resilience and Recovery Fund Act because the effects of climate change don’t stop because of a government shutdown. It’s time we take real action to protect our planet for future generations." 

Climate disasters are projected to cost nearly $145 billion in damage globally in 2025. Currently, taxpayers—not the corporations driving climate change—bear those costs. The Polluters Pay Act would ensure that companies profiting from pollution and harmful environmental practices pay into the fund, reducing the burden on working families and local governments. 

This legislation ensures that those most responsible for the climate crisis are the ones who pay for the recovery and resilience efforts our communities urgently need—not American taxpayers. 

Read the bill here. 

Statements of support are below: 

“It’s past time for Big Polluters to take responsibility and pay for the harm they’ve caused to the health of our communities and our environment,” said Leah Donahey, League of Conservation Voters Senior Federal Advocacy Campaigns Director. “Representative Stansbury and other climate champions in the House are fighting to protect people, champion affordability, and ensure Big Polluters are the ones paying for the critical investments we need to build resiliency against extreme weather and the climate crisis. Polluters have profited at the expense of our communities for decades, and the National Resilience and Recovery Fund Act will help hold Big Polluters accountable and protect our budgets, communities, and future generations.”  

“Corporate polluters have operated under the assumption that they can rake in profits without ever being held responsible for their part in the climate crisis. As communities grapple with more and worse disasters driven by extreme weather, it’s about time Big Oil and Gas companies are expected to help rebuild and repair the damage caused by their business activities,” said Mahyar Sorour, Sierra Club’s Director of Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy. “We are grateful for the leadership of Rep. Melanie Stansbury in ensuring fossil fuel companies contribute a fair share in cleaning up their mess. We hope this is just the beginning of making polluters pay.” 

"Headlines regularly report communities across the nation are facing wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, and heat waves, extreme weather events that used to be considered ‘once in a generation’ storms.  Now our future is shaped by a series of disasters that upend lives, damage homes, businesses, and hospitals, and destroy critical infrastructure. The crippling costs of restoring and repairing our communities cannot be borne by individuals or state governments alone. It is time for the oil and gas industry to pay their fair share of the damages they have caused,” said Kimberly Ong, Senior Director & Senior Attorney with NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). 

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