By Charles Pekow — Rep. Lauren Boebert, the Trump-supporting, Republican member of Congress seeking another term in Colorado, has targeted bicycling benefits as part of her campaign. At her urging, the House passed a provision that would remove the bicycling benefit for Department of the Interior employees who ride their bikes to work. This provision was included in H.R.8998 – Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025.
Currently, at the agency’s discretion, federal employees are eligible for a Bicycle Subsidy Benefit to cover expenses if they commute by bike (https://www.doi.gov/ofas/support_services/bicycle-subsidy-benefit-program). Boebert’s amendment specifically targets employees of the Department of the Interior.
Photo by Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Boebert stated on the House floor:
“American taxpayers’ hard-earned money is being wasted on covering bicycle commuting expenses such as bicycles, bicycle locks, bicycle parking, storage, bicycle safety equipment, bicycle improvements or accessories, including reflective lights, racks, bicycle repairs and general maintenance, personal safety and protective equipment, including high-visibility safety apparel, headwear, and bicycle gloves, and bicycle share memberships as well as getting paid to bike to work. Praise the Lord.”
She further added, “We must redirect our attention and their money to much more important things than subsidizing employees for riding bicycles,” and urged her colleagues to “support my amendment to cut wasteful, silly federal spending by prohibiting funding for the Bicycle Subsidy Benefit Program at the Department of the Interior.”
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), though outvoted, defended the subsidy, noting that the program dates back to 1993 and is not part of the Biden-Harris spending that Boebert criticized. “We all know what the traffic is going to be like here tomorrow. Bikes would be handy,” McCollum said. “This is a government-wide program, and the amendment unfairly targets Department of the Interior employees.”
Passage of Boebert’s amendment is far from certain, as the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a funding bill without the provision. The Interior’s press office did not respond to an inquiry.
On a brighter note, the House also approved an amendment to the bill sponsored by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), which would allocate $1 million to the National Park Service to report on whether any laws or regulations are inhibiting the use of urban national parks for active use, including bicycling.
