Committee Approves FY24 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Bill

WASHINGTON – Today, the Full Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2024 bill for the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 33 to 27.

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The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill provides new non-defense discretionary spending totaling $25.417 billion, which is $13.433 billion (35%) below the Fiscal Year 2023 enacted level and $21.371 billion below the President's Budget Request. The bill also rescinds $9.373 billion in funding provided to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Presidio Trust, and the Council on Environmental Quality by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), bringing the program level to $34.790 billion (10%) below the FY23 enacted level. Overall, the bill's allocation is below the FY18 enacted level. The bill fully funds the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program and prioritizes funding for Tribes and Wildland Fire Management. In addition, the bill provides a $2.65 billion fire suppression cap adjustment as authorized. The bill reduces funding for nearly every other appropriation in the bill, including a $3.962 billion (39%) reduction to the EPA. The bill meets the programmatic needs of the agencies within the Subcommittee's jurisdiction by reining in spending for low priority programs.

Fiscal Year 2024 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Bill

• Reins in wasteful Washington spending and bureaucracy by:
  • Rightsizing agency funding levels;
  • Expanding access to critical minerals;
  • Requiring oil and gas lease sales;
  • Limiting job killing regulations by the EPA, such as repealing the recent Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulation;
  • Limiting abuse of the Endangered Species Act regarding species such as the sage-grouse, the gray wolf, and the lesser-prairie chicken; and
  • Reducing funds for nearly every other appropriation in the bill, including eliminating funding for the Presidio and reducing the EPA by 39%.
• Prioritizes funding for public safety and critical operations and maintenance programs by:
  • Providing a $1.604 billion increase in discretionary funding for the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service;
  • Providing funds for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, and the Indian Health Service at or above the comparable FY23 enacted level; and
  • Fully funding PILT estimated to be $515 million.

A summary of the bill is available here.

During the markup, Committee Republicans rejected amendments offered by the Democrats that would have:

• Blocked the repeal of the Administration's flawed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule;
• Allowed the listing of the sage grouse and Lesser Prairie Chicken under the Endangered Species Act and the uplisting of the long-eared bat;
• Limited access for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on Federal lands;
• Blocked access to critical minerals;
• Prevented oil and gas lease sales in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, the Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, and the Alaska region;
• Struck requirements for the Secretary of the Interior to conduct quarterly lease sales;
• Facilitated the Smithsonian's continued portrayal of American Latinos in a negative light;
• Allowed funding for wasteful climate initiatives;
• Continued funding for the Presidio Trust, even after the Trust has received tens of millions in loan authority since FY20; and
• Allowed the Administration to withdraw more than 225,000 acres from mineral leasing in Minnesota and prevented hardrock mineral leases from being reinstated in Minnesota, the already-determined best location for the initiative.

In addition, Republicans adopted the following amendments:

• Simpson (Manager's Amendment) – makes technical, bipartisan changes to the bill and report.
  • The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Simpson (En Bloc) –
  • Prohibits funds for the National Park Services' vehicle reservation system at Glacier National Park;
  • Prohibits the Department of the Interior from establishing a bison working group;
  • Blocks unnecessary, burdensome regulations at the EPA, including:
    • The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule;
    • The restriction of rodenticides to prevent animal disease and crop loss on farms;
    • Regulations on light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles; and
    • Ethylene Oxide regulations until the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certifies that such regulations will not adversely impact the availability of sterile medical products.
  • Prohibits funds for wasteful climate initiatives, like the EPA's Clean Power Plan 2.0;
  • Prevents the Administration from banning lead ammunition and fishing tackle on federal lands or waters for hunting or fishing activities unless certain conditions are met;
  • Protects Americans against religious discrimination;
  • Prevents the Smithsonian from partnering with Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices, an active arm of the Community Party of China;
  • Prohibits the listing of the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard under the Endangered Species Act;
  • Blocks the EPA's efforts to remove natural gas appliances from the EnergySTAR program; and
  • Supports wildlife habitat conservation efforts on private lands.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 32 to 27.
• Newhouse, Zinke, Carl – prohibits the Bureau of Land Management from implementing the Conservation and Landscape Health rule, which would hinder access to public lands for energy and critical mineral development, grazing forest management, and recreation.
  • The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Zinke – delists the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) population of Grizzly Bears under the Endangered Species Act.
  • The amendment was adopted by a voice vote.
• Wasserman Schultz #2 – requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an environmental impact statement on oil and gas development within the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida.
  • The amendment was adopted by a voice vote.

Subcommittee Chairman Simpson's opening remarks are available here.

Bill text, before adoption of amendments in Full Committee, is available here.
Bill report, before adoption of amendments in Full Committee, is available here.
A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

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