FUNDING LEVELS:

The conference agreement provides a total of $27.3 billion in new discretionary spending authority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Civil, the Department of Interior including the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy, and several Independent Agencies.  This bill is $1.19 billion above fiscal year 2003 and $382 million above the President’s budget request.

CORPS OF ENGINEERS:

The conference agreement supports a vigorous civil works program. By concentrating resources on those traditional missions such as flood control, shoreline protection, and navigation which yield the greatest economic benefits for the nation, the bill ensures the highest possible return on taxpayer investment.  The conference agreement of  $4.57 billion is $376.4 million over the President’s budget request and $68.4 million below fiscal year 2003.

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION:

The conference agreement provides funding necessary to maintain, operate, and rehabilitate Bureau projects throughout the western United States and protect the considerable Federal investment in western water infrastructure. Funding for the Bureau of Reclamation is $948.3 million, an increase of $70.28 million over the President’s request and $12.99 million above last year’s level.   No funding is provided for the CALFED Bay-Delta project in fiscal year 2004 due to expiration of the project’s authorization.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY:

The recommendation of $22 billion for the Department of Energy is $141 million under the President’s request and $1.2 billion above fiscal year 2003. 

·         The chairman’s mark includes $349.4 million for renewable energy programs, $104.8 million below the budget request and $80.1 million below fiscal year 2003.  Much of this apparent reduction represents a transfer to the new Office of Electricity Transmission and Distribution, as recommended by the Secretary of Energy.

·         Nuclear energy programs are funded at $393 million, an increase of  $23.9 million from the budget request and $133 million above fiscal year 2003.  The Chairman’s mark funds Nuclear Energy Plant Optimization (NEPO) program at $3 million, the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) at $11.6 million, and nuclear energy technologies at $44.0 million.  The Chairman’s mark also includes $6.5 million for the Nuclear Hydrogen initiative and 68.0 for the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative.

·         DOE science programs are funded at $3.45 billion, an increase of $140 million over the budget request and $156 million above fiscal year 2003.  High energy physics is funded at $738 million and nuclear physics at $391.0 million, the latter $2.5 million over the request level.  Biological and environmental research is funded at $592 million, $92.5 million over the request level. Funding for basic energy sciences is $1.0 billion, $8 million over the request, and includes full funding for the Spallation Neutron Source. The Advanced Scientific Computing Research initiative is funded at $203.5 million, an increase of $30 million over the request.  Fusion energy research is funded at $268.1 million, $10.8 million above the request.

·         The Nuclear Waste Program continues to be one of the Chairman’s highest energy priorities.  The Chairman’s mark provides a total of $580 million for nuclear waste disposal$11 million below the budget request and $123 million more than fiscal year 2003. 

·         The Power Marketing Administrations are funded at $207.3 million, the same as the President’s request and $5.2 million above last year.  Reimbursable purchase power and wheeling activities are maintained at the fiscal year 2003 levels. 

·         The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which includes the nuclear weapons program, defense nuclear nonproliferation, naval reactors and the office of the administrator, is funded at $8.7 billion, an increase of $529.7 million over last year, and $127.3 million below the budget request.  Funding of $6.12 billion is provided for weapons activities; $1.37 billion for defense nuclear nonproliferation programs; $764.4 million for naval reactors; and $339.9 for the office of the administrator.

Nuclear Weapon Initiatives -- The conference agreement provides the following funding levels on the new nuclear weapons initiatives proposed in the budget request: $7.5 million for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP) study, a reduction of $7.5 million from the request; $6.0 million for Advance Concept studies for new nuclear weapons, of which $4.0 million is unavailable for obligation pending submittal to Congress of the revised Nuclear Weapons Stockpile plan detailing the reductions to the Total Strategic Stockpile required to meet the President’s proposed reductions; $24.9 million for Enhanced Test Readiness, the same as the budget request, restricting the National Nuclear Security Administration to improving its current test readiness capability at 24 months rather than the shortened test readiness proposal of 18 months;  $10.8 million for Modern Pit Facility, a reduction of $12.0 million from the request.  Total funding for nuclear weapon activities is 6.3 billion, $303 million above last year and $94 million below the request

·         Funding of $7.6 billion is provided for DOE environmental management cleanup activities, $134  million less than the budget request and $2161 million over last year.  The Chairman’s mark continues the strong commitment to accelerate cleanup schedules at contaminated sites throughout the country, thus reducing public health and safety risks as well as total life-cycle cleanup costs.   

INDEPENDENT AGENCIES:

Funding for Independent Agencies is $229.3 million, an increase of $81.3 million above the President’s request and $22.6 million above fiscal year 2003.  The funding levels by agency are:  the Appalachian Regional Commission--$66.0 million; the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board--$19.6 million; the Delta Regional Authority--$5 million; the Denali Commission—$55 million; the Nuclear Regulatory Commission--$618.8 million offset by revenues of $538.8 million; the Office of the Inspector General of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission--$7.3 million offset by revenues of $6.7 million; and the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board--$3.2 million.