Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies (116th Congress)
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today in opposition to H.R. 7608, the first package of fiscal year 2021 appropriations bills to be considered by the House.
I wish the circumstances were different and I could support this very important piece of legislation that funds many key programs.
This bill supports –
- The veterans who have honorably served our country;
- The diplomats who promote American businesses and our values around the world;
- The farmers and ranchers who put food on our tables; and
- The custodians of our parks and public lands who protect our national treasures.
Unfortunately, I am not able to support the bill before us because it has some fatal flaws.
I want to thank Chair McCollum and Ranking Member Joyce for the work they've done on many important programs supported by the Interior bill.
This bill funds priorities and concerns of Members on both sides of the aisle and does many good things for the preservation of our natural resources.
In addition, the bill helps local communities across the country with education and safety needs, particularly in Indian country.
Even though the bill funds many shared priorities, there are several policy items that raise concern.
The bill eliminates several long-standing, common-sense provisions that have had bipartisan support for many years.
Instead, the bill adds many new poison pill riders and directives that would limit domestic energy and mineral production and prevent the Administration from reducing regulatory burdens.
WASHINGTON – Today, the full committee met to consider the fiscal year 2021 appropriations bills for the subcommittees on Interior-Environment and the Legislative Branch. Committee Republicans were unable to support these two bills due to several new policy proposals and a total spending level that is hundreds of billions of dollars above the budget agreement.
Madam Chair, thank you for yielding.
I rise in opposition to the subcommittee allocations because they do not give a complete picture of all of the spending in these appropriations bills.
Instead of working with us to develop bills consistent with the budget agreement that was reached last year, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have unilaterally decided to include hundreds of billions of dollars in so-called "emergency" spending for things that really are not emergencies.
- Almost $200 billion dollars for infrastructure;
- Nearly $35 billion dollars to respond to the coronavirus on top of the trillions already appropriated; and
- $12.5 billion for veterans, even though it was known last year that these costs would rise.
In total, there is more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in additional deficit spending not included in these allocations.
WASHINGTON – Today, the subcommittees on Homeland Security; Interior and Environment; Legislative Branch; Energy and Water Development; and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education met to consider their appropriations bills for fiscal year 2021. The measures were reported out to the full committee with concerns raised by Republicans.
I want to thank Chair Mccollum for presenting the fiscal year 2021 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill today.
I also want to thank the Ranking Member, Mr. Joyce, for his leadership on this subcommittee.
I appreciate the work you've done on many important programs supported by the Interior bill.
This bill funds priorities and concerns of Members on both sides of the aisle and does many good things for the preservation of our natural resources.
For example, the bill prioritizes funding to maintain our national parks and support efforts to stop the trafficking of endangered species.
In addition, the bill helps local communities across the country with education and safety needs, particularly in Indian country.
Even though the bill funds many shared priorities, there are several policy items that raise concern.
WASHINGTON – Top Appropriations Committee Republican Kay Granger (R-TX) released the following statement after the House passed the CARES Act.
"Our nation is facing an unprecedented pandemic, and I am proud that Congress has come together again to provide desperately needed resources and relief to the American people.
