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What's New at Budget?
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Continuing Resolution (CR): The President signed the continuing resolution, P.L. 108-309, on September 30. The CR provides funding and authority for continued operation of Federal government programs through November 20, 2004, except for the Department of Defense and including the Department of the Interior.
Supplemental Appropriations: Supplemental appropriations for declared disasters including Hurricanes Charley, Francis, Ivan, and Jeanne have been enacted as part of the Military Construction Appropriations bill, which was signed by the President on October 13, 2004 (P.L. 108-324).
For Interior bill agencies, the bill includes:
- $40.552 million for Fish and Wildlife Service construction for damages in Florida, several States and Puerto Rico;
- $50.8 million for National Park Service construction for damages related to hurricanes and flooding primarily in Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee; and
- $1.0 million for the U.S. Geological Survey to address damages related to hurricanes and flooding events.
Although information was requested on 2003 and earlier 2004 storm damages such as Hurricane Isabel, the conferees declined to fund these damages given the high volume of new federal disasters declared in August and September.
In addition, the supplemental provided $1.2 billion to DOT for the Federal Aid Highways Emergency Relief program to fund emergency expenses resulting from Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Gaston, Ivan, and Jeanne. Funds are provided for these recent disasters and to respond to the backlog of emergency needs arising from natural disasters in 2004 and prior years. The Department has a number of projects in the backlog.
Finally, the supplemental provides $5.0 million to the Bureau of Reclamation to be provided to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for modification of a water intake at Lake Mead.
Summary: House Floor and Senate Committee Action on the Fiscal Year 2005 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
The Senate Appropriations Committee reported the 2005 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations on September 14, 2004.
The House earlier passed the bill on June 17, 2004, by a vote of 334 to 86. The House Appropriations Committee reported the bill on June 9.
Summary: 2005 Congressional Action on the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill
On June 16, 2004, the House Appropriations Committee filed its report on H.R. 4614, the 2005 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill. The bill is expected to be considered on the House floor during the week of June 21, 2004.
Overall the Committee provides a total of $28.0 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 $734.5 million above fiscal year 2004 and $49.6 million above the President's budget request.
Department of the Interior programs are funded at $1.0 billion, an increase of $40.0 million over the 2004 level and $52.3 million over the President's request, as amended. This includes $972.9 million for Bureau of Reclamation accounts and $48.0 million for the Central Utah Project Completion Account.
Summary of House Action: Thursday June 17
The House passed the 2005 Interior and Related Agencies bill on June 17 by a vote of 334 to 86.
Before final passage, the House took the following actions involving the Department:
- Defeated an amendment by Mr. Hinchey prohibiting the use of funds to kill bison in the Yellowstone National Park herd. The vote on the amendment was 202 to 215.
- Defeated an amendment by Mr. Holt of New Jersey to prohibit recreational snowmobile use in Yellowstone National Park, the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway, and Grand Teton National park. The vote on the amendment was 198 to 223.
- A point of order was sustained against an amendment by Mr. Weiner requiring that the Statute of Liberty be reopened by July 31 to the level of public access available before 9/11. Chairman Taylor objected that the amendment would constitute legislation in an appropriations bill. After the Chair sustained the point of order, the House adopted by a voice vote an amendment by Mr. Dicks and Mr. Peterson to require the Secretary to provide a report on the status of reopening the Statute of Liberty. The report would be due 30 days after enactement of the Interior bill.
- Defeated an amendment by Mr. Sanders to limit the amount of oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to 647 million barrels. The vote on the amendment was 152 to 267. The amendment would have resulted in suspending delivery of MMS RIK oil to the SPR.
Summary of House Action: Wednesday June 16
The House took up the 2005 Interior and Related Agencies appropriations bill (H.R. 4568) Wednesday June 16. The house adopted a rule (H.Res.674) governing consideration of the bill by a vote of 428 to 1.
After brief general debate, the House turned to consideration of amendments. In action on amendments involving the Department, the House took the following action:
- Adopted an amendment by Mrs. Slaughter increasing funding for the National Endowment for the Arts by $10 million and the National Endowment for the Humanities by $3.5 million with offsetting reductions from Interior vehicle fleet funding. The amendment was adopted by a recorded vote of 241 to 185.
- Adopted by a voice vote an amendment by Mr. Hunter prohibiting the use of recreation fee demonstration project funding to cover the costs of any biological monitoring for an endangered or threatened species or potentially endangered or threatened species.
- Defeated an amendment by Mr. Rahall that would have placed a limitation on funds used to adversely affect the integrity of Indian sacred sites. The amendment was defeated by a roll call vote of 209 to 215.
- Considered an amendment by Mr. Hensarling of Texas that would have limited to $50 million spending by the Department on web sites. Chairman Taylor opposed the amendment on the basis that the appropriations subcommittee is already working with the Department to improve the management of IT programs and the potential impacts of such a limitation to industry and the public that use these web sites. Congressman Hensarling withdrew his amendment on these grounds.
- Defeated an amendment by Mr. Flake of Arizona to increase PILT by $15 million, offset by a reduction in the Smithsonian Institution. The vote on the amendment was 94 to 332.
Consideration of the bill for further amendments will resume Thursday June 17, 2004.
Summary: House Committee Action on the Fiscal Year 2005 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
The House Appropriations Committee reported the Fiscal Year 2005 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations bill on June 9, 2004. House floor action is anticipated on June 16. House Subcommittee action on the bill took place on June 3. The Subcommittee adopted the measure with a voice vote, unanimously agreeing to its passage without amendment. In the June 9 meeting, the full Appropriations Committee considered several funding amendments, adopted two language amendments, and reported out the bill on a voice vote.
Statement of Gale A. Norton, Secretary of the Interior before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on the 2005 President's budget request on February 12, 2004.
The Interior Budget in Brief, Fiscal Year 2005 Highlights thoroughly describes the President's 2005 budget request.
Summary: 2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Public Law 108-199.
The 2004 Consolidated Appropriations bill was passed by the House on December 8, 2003 by a vote of 242 to 176. The Senate adopted the Conference Report on the 2004 Consolidated Appropriations bill on January 22 by a vote of 65 to 28. The President signed the Act on January 23, 2004.
The Consolidated Appropriations bill includes a 0.59% across-the-board reduction applicable to all 2004 domestic discretionary appropriations, including those in the Interior and Energy and Water Acts. This reduction is in addition to the 0.646% reduction contained in the Interior Act.
The Consolidated Appropriations bill also includes the following provisions specifically applicable to the Department:
- The $99 million provided in the 2004 Interior Act to repay fire borrowing in 2003 is exempted from the 0.646% across-the-board reduction in the Interior Act. (It is not exempted from the 0.59% ATB in the Consolidated bill.)
- The Secretary is given discretion as to how to spread the two across-the-board reductions within the Indian Land and Water Claim Settlements account. This discretion will allow full funding of settlements scheduled to complete in 2004.
- $100,000 is appropriated for establishment of an Office of Native Hawaiian Relations within the Office of the Secretary.
- A new Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge is established in Mississippi. Additionally, one of the units of the Yazoo NWR is redesignated as the Holt Collier NWR.
- The Secretary is authorized to pay expenses of transporting the remains and household effects of deceased employees hired under the local hire authority of the Alaska National Interests Lands Conservation Act. Such authority already exists for regular civil service employees.
- The Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation are authorized to lease a right-of-way for an interstate gas pipeline to the Northern Border Pipeline Company.
- The Secretary is authorized to acquire Fern Lake and its surrounding watershed in Kentucky and Tennessee for inclusion in the Cumberland Gap NHP. After acquisition, the Secretary is directed to convey to the city of Middlesboro, Kentucky title to Fern Lake (up to its normal operating level as a water supply for the city), subject to a scenic easement and a right of reversion.
- The statutory expiration of the Delaware and Lehigh Heritage Area Commission is extended until 2007.
- A technical amendment to the 2004 Interior Act clarifies the authority of the Secretary to give grants to the Shenandoah Battlefield Foundation for protection of Civil War sites in the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District.
- Another technical amendment clarifies the effect of redesignation of the Congaree Swamp National Monument as the Congaree National Park.
- The Federal Aviation Administration is directed to ensure operation of the airfield at Midway Atoll. Other Federal agencies are directed to transfer to the FAA, with the approval of OMB, not to exceed $6 million from funds made available in the Consolidated Act or any other Act for purposes of operating the airport.
- An amendment to the Oklahoma City National Memorial Act transfers management of the national memorial to the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation.
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