A $31.4 billion bill to support the Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Forest Service and related agencies gained committee approval on Tuesday with support from U.S. Reps. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Ken Calvert (R-CA).
The House Appropriations Committee advanced a fiscal year 2018 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill that came in $824 million below the fiscal year 2017 enacted level and $4.3 billion above President Donald Trump’s budget request.
“This legislation responsibly supports the agencies and offices we rely on to preserve our natural resources for future generations, and prioritizes our limited funding to programs that protect environmental safety, such as the Chemical Safety Board,” Frelinghuysen, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said.
The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, which the administration proposed terminating, is funded at $11 million, unchanged from the fiscal year 2017 level.
“Further, the committee’s vigorous oversight has identified opportunities to rein in the federal bureaucracy and to stop many harmful and unnecessary regulations that destroy economic opportunity and hinder job creation,” Frelinghuysen said.
The bill seeks to rein in what lawmakers say are outdated and unnecessary regulations at the EPA. The legislation, for example, includes language to authorize federal government officials to withdraw the Waters of the United States rule.
“The agencies funded in the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill do important work protecting public lands, the air we breathe and the water we drink,” Calvert, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Interior, said. “Our subcommittee prioritized proven programs that have a meaningful impact to achieve these goals while also ensuring our economy can continue to grow.”
Calvert said he was pleased the bill provides significant funding for National Parks and the Clean Diesel program, and also ensures the continued development of the U.S. Geological Service (USGS) earthquake early warning system.
The spending bill would allocate $1 billion to USGS, $46 million less than current levels. Fiscal year 2018 funding would include $10.2 million for earthquake detection and warning systems and an $8.3 million increase in support for a satellite program that provides data to local communities to assist with agriculture, forestry, energy and water resources.
Amodei worked to include a number of provisions in the bill, including a $4 million increase in administrative funding for specific Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) programs, a $1.5 million increase in administrative funding for detentions and corrections to ensure local facilities are paid for tribal partnerships, and $3.4 million to help promote Native American tourism.
“Specifically, the bill encourages the responsible use of our natural resources by providing critical funding to combat devastating wildfires, improve forest health and promote clean air and water,” Amodei said. “It also supports our Native communities and preserves funding for important arts and humanities programs that add culture and value to our local communities.”
Specifically, the measure would dedicate $3.4 billion to prevent and fight wildfires, $7.5 billion to the EPA, $2.9 billion for the National Park Service and $1.2 billion to the Bureau of Land Management. The bill would also allocate $5.1 billion for Indian Health Services, a $97 million increase from current levels.