This Statement of Administration Policy provides the
Administration's views on the Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriation Bill, FY 2000, as reported by the Senate Committee.
The allocation of discretionary resources available to the Senate
under the Congressional Budget Resolution is simply inadequate to
make the necessary investments that our citizens need and expect.
The President's FY 2000 Budget proposes levels of discretionary
spending that meet such needs while conforming to the Bipartisan
Budget Agreement by making savings proposals in mandatory and other
programs available to help finance this spending. Congress has
approved, and the President has signed into law, nearly $29 billion
of such offsets in appropriations legislation since 1995. The
Administration urges the Senate to consider such proposals as the FY
2000 appropriations process moves forward. In addition, we urge the
Senate to reduce unrequested funding for programs and projects in
this bill.
The Committee bill makes major reductions to critical requests
for the President's Lands Legacy Initiative and for key tribal,
energy, and cultural programs. The bill also includes many
environmental provisions that would be highly objectionable to the
Administration. Consequently, if the bill were to be presented to
the President in its present form, the President's senior advisors
would recommend a veto.
Objectionable Legislative Riders
The Administration strongly opposes the many environmental and
other authorizations in the bill, which are inappropriate for
inclusion in an appropriations act. The inclusion of such riders in
this bill is unacceptable. (See attachment.) Such riders rarely
receive the level of congressional and public review required of
authorization language, and they often override existing
environmental and natural resource protections, limit tribal
sovereignty, or impose unjustified micro management restrictions on
agency activities. We strongly urge the Senate to oppose such
provisions.
Lands Legacy Initiative/Land and Water Conservation Fund
The Administration strongly opposes the Committee's decision not
to fund major portions of the President's Lands Legacy Initiative.
Overall, only $263 million, or 33 percent, of the $797 million
requested in this bill for the Initiative would be funded. The bill
would provide no funding for State conservation grants and planning
assistance, and only a portion (11 percent) of the requested
increase for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund.
The Committee bill would also make significant cuts in State and
Private Forestry grants. Federal land acquisition funding would be
cut by more than half from the Lands Legacy request, from $413
million to $198 million, and would include none of the $45.6 million
requested for a grant to the State of Florida for Everglades
restoration, and force a premature and inappropriate termination of
funding that Congress previously approved to initiate acquisition of
the majestic Baca Ranch in New Mexico. It would be short-sighted to
gut the important Lands Legacy Initiative, given the growing
bipartisan recognition of the need for the Federal Government, the
States, and the private sector to protect open spaces and preserve
America's great places.
Land Management Operations
The Administration commends the action of the Committee in
addressing the operational and maintenance needs of land management
agencies in Interior and the Department of Agriculture. The
Administration is concerned, however, with cuts in key conservation
programs from the request. For example, the bill makes major
reductions in the Administration's Clean Water Action Plan (CWAP),
providing less than ten percent of the $102 million requested
increase. Forested watersheds managed by the land management
agencies supply drinking water to millions of Americans. The
Administration is also concerned with the lack of additional funding
for abandoned mine lands reclamation under the CWAP. Full funding of
the $25 million request would allow significant progress in
addressing acid mine drainage and watershed problems in the
Appalachian region.
In addition, the bill would reduce requests for the Fish and
Wildlife Service's endangered species program by $13 million, or 12
percent, and the Forest Service forest research program by $48
million, or 20 percent, and funding to meet the science needs of
Interior's land management programs. Increased funding for key
programs within the Forest Service operating program, such as
wildlife and fisheries habitat and rangeland management, could be
offset with reductions in unrequested and excessive funding for
timber sale preparation and management. An additional $29 million
could be provided for high-priority programs by adopting the
Administration's proposal to charge timber companies for the costs
of preparing timber sales on National Forests. By adopting the
Administrations's proposed Forest Service concession reforms, $11
million in additional fees could be directed to improve recreational
opportunities.
Millennium Initiative to Save America's Treasures
The Administration objects to the lack of funding for the $30
million Presidential initiative to commemorate the Millennium by
preserving the Nation's historic sites and cultural artifacts that
are America's treasures, and urges the Committee to address the
needs of this important program as the bill moves forward. Funds
provided by Congress in FY 1999 have already been used with matching
State, local, and private funds to preserve such important national
symbols as the Star Spangled Banner, the 1905 Wright III (the
world's first practical airplane), and the Louis Armstrong House and
Archives.
Priority Construction and Maintenance Needs
The Department of the Interior has developed a five-year plan
that prioritizes Maintenance and Construction projects based on
uniform criteria, with greatest emphasis given to deferred
maintenance needs related to critical health and safety and resource
protection needs. This action would be undermined, however, by the
Committee's earmarking of approximately $50 million for nearly three
dozen unrequested and unscheduled NPS projects. The Administration
urges Congress to support construction management reforms by funding
those projects that have been selected in the five-year construction
priority lists of the NPS and other land management agencies in the
Department of the Interior, as well as funds requested for
maintenance management improvement and special projects, such as the
addition to the FDR Memorial (DC).
National Endowment for the Arts/National Endowment for the
Humanities/Institute for Museum and Library Services
The Administration strongly objects to the proposed funding
levels for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National
Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and
Library Services (IMLS), Office of Museum Services. The Committee's
proposed $51 million, or 34-percent, reduction from the request
would preclude NEA from moving forward with its Challenge America
initiative which emphasizes arts education and access to
under-served communities across America. The $38 million, or
25-percent, reduction from the request would preclude NEH from
expanding its summer seminar series to provide professional
development opportunities to our nation's teachers as well as
broadening the outreach of its humanities programs. The $10 million,
or 29-percent, reduction from the request would preclude IMLS from
moving forward on the digital library for education, expansion of
after-school programs in museums, and Museums On-line to improve
museum access to communities and schools. The Administration urges
the Senate to approve funding for the Endowments and IMLS' Office of
Museum Services at the requested levels.
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Office of the Special Trustee for
American Indians
The Administration is very concerned that the Committee has not
provided the requested funds to address long-standing concerns of
Native Americans. Although the bill increases Office of the Special
Trustee for American Indians funding over the FY 1999 enacted level,
it is still $21 million, or 21-percent, below the Administration's
request, which is critical for implementing Trust management reforms
and consolidating highly fractionated ownership of Indian lands. In
addition, the Committee bill does not fund the $30 million Bureau of
Indian Affairs School Construction Bonding Initiative for
much-needed improvements in elementary and secondary schools, nor
does it provide adequate funding to operate these schools.
Guam Assistance
The Administration opposes the Committee's decision not to
provide additional funding to reimburse Guam for economic and social
costs due to migration from the freely associated states of
Micronesia authorized by the Federal compacts with those nations.
Other Funding Issues
Maintaining the FY 1999 enacted funding level for the Office of
the Solicitor, as proposed by the Committee bill, would seriously
undermine this vital office, requiring personnel reductions and
impairing Indian trust reform and other important activities.
The Administration supports full funding for digitizing
collections in the Smithsonian Institution and the National Park
Service as part of the Digital Library for Education, providing
school children around the nation the opportunity to explore the
unique materials available in the collections of these two agencies.
Indian Health Service (Department of Health and Human
Services)
While the Administration is pleased that the Committee has
provided an increase over the FY 1999 enacted level for the Indian
Health Service (IHS), we are disappointed that the increase is less
than half of the $170 million increase the Administration has
requested for IHS. In particular, the Senate did not provide any of
the $35 million increase requested for Contract Support Costs. The
FY 2000 Budget seeks to increase the health provider staffing and
infrastructure necessary to improve access to health care services,
including an additional 25,000 dental services, a Women's Health
Initiative to provide 34,000 additional breast cancer mammography
screenings, and 100 more community-based Public Health Nurses to
provide preventive outreach activities, including well-child
examinations, immunizations, and prenatal care. These increases are
necessary if we are to help reduce disparities and improve the
health status of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. We strongly
urge the Senate to fully fund the requested levels in Hospitals and
Clinics, Dental, Mental Health, Contract Health Care, Public Health
Nursing, Contract Support Costs, Sanitation, and maintenance -- all
critical areas of need for Native American communities.
Department of Energy
The Committee mark severely reduces high priority Energy
Conservation programs $155 million below the President's request.
The Administration strongly opposes this reduction. The cut
seriously hampers the progress being made in the Partnership for a
New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) to promote the development of high
mileage vehicles. The reduction also prevents the Partnership for
Advancing Technologies in Housing (PATH) from demonstrating
technologies which achieve dramatic savings in the energy costs for
new housing.
The effect of Section 341 of the General Provisions is not clear,
but appears to be intended to impede efforts to save taxpayers money
by reducing the energy costs of operating Federal buildings. This
type of interference in the efficient running of government is
highly objectionable and counterproductive. The Committee mark does
not include the President's request for $36 million for the second
Elk Hills installment payment to the State of California for its use
in the California Retired Teachers System. This payment should be
provided consistent with P.L. 104-106. The Committee also provides
$27 million more than the President's request for Fossil Energy
Research and Development activities and reduces the requested Clean
Coal deferral by a net of $90 million. The Administration prefers
that the research priorities contained in the President's budget be
funded instead of these lower priority Fossil Energy Research and
Development activities.
Smithsonian Institution and Other Cultural Agencies
Although the Administration appreciates the funding levels the
Committee has provided for the Kennedy Center, National Gallery of
Art, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, we would hope that the
Senate could provide additional funds for the Smithsonian
Institution.
Infringement on Executive Authority
There are several provisions in the Committee bill that purport
to require congressional approval before Executive Branch execution
of aspects of the bill. The Administration will interpret such
provisions to require notification only, since any other
interpretation would contradict the Supreme Court ruling in INS
vs. Chadha.
Attachment (Senate)
OBJECTIONABLE RIDERS DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL (AS REPORTED BY THE
SENATE COMMITTEE)
The following are examples of some objectionable legislative
riders in the FY 2000 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations
Bill, as reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee (in bill
order).
- Permanent Extension of Grazing Without Environmental
Reviews. Permanently extends expiring grazing permits
nationwide on Bureau of Land Management lands, without the
environmental review required by current law (section 117).
-
Extension of Expiring Grazing Permits in Lake Roosevelt
National Recreation Area (WA). Requires the renewal of
expiring grazing permits in this recreation area administered as
part of the National Park System, notwithstanding the fact that
grazing is not an authorized purpose for this recreation area
(section 124).
-
Delays in National Forest Planning. Delays revisions to
Forest Plans until final planning regulations are published,
thereby preventing new science and sustainable forest practices
from being incorporated into expiring forest plans (sections 320).
-
Limitation on Tribal Self-Determination. Prohibits
tribes from entering into new or expanded self-determination
contracts, and grants, and or self-governance compacts with the
Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Indian Health Service, contrary to
the long-standing Federal Government policy to promote tribal
self-determination (section 324).
-
Permanent Prohibition of Grizzly Bear Reintroduction.
Permanently prohibits the re-introduction of the threatened
grizzly bear on Federal lands in Idaho and Montana, without the
consent of the governors of both states, providing an
unprecedented veto power to the States over Federal Government
activities to implement species recovery plans pursuant to the
Endangered Species Act (section 328).
-
Limitation on Wildlife Surveys in Federal Land
Management. Overturns a recent Federal Circuit Court of
Appeals decision requiring Federal land management agencies to
conduct wildlife surveys before amending land management plans and
approving transactions such as timber sales involving Federal
lands (section 329).
-
Additional Delay for the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem
Management Project (ICBEMP). Requires a new 120-day comment
period for the pending interagency report on ICBEMP's economic
outputs, and inclusion of detailed responses to comments received
in the ICBEMP (WA/OR/ID/MT) final supplemental environmental
impact statement. This cumbersome process will unnecessarily delay
ICBEMP's conclusion by six months or more, since there has already
been extensive public participation and comment on this project
that is vital to future Federal land management in this region.
(section 330).
-
Amendment of 1872 Mining Law Limitation on Waste Piles.
Permanently overrides the 1872 Mining Law's five-acre millsite
(waste pile) limitation per hardrock mining claim on Federal
lands, which would allow mining operators to claim, at taxpayer
expense, as much acreage as the operators deem necessary for these
waste piles that often pose significant environmental problems
(section 336).
-
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Land
Acquisition. Mandates unique bargaining and arbitration
procedures for Forest Service land acquisition in the Columbia
River Gorge (WA/OR), potentially encouraging federal land
acquisitions at greater than fair market value, establishing
special protocols that do not adhere to uniform federal policies
on real property acquisition, and creating a precedent for a
costly and adversarial process nationwide (section 338).
-
Mineral Development in the Mark Twain (MO) National
Forest. Overrides the ability of the federal land managers to
withdraw lands in the national forest from future mineral
development. These lands border the Ozark Scenic Riverways
National Park. (section 340).
-
Limitation on Energy Efficiency in Federal Government
Operations. Prohibits the use of funds to study, develop, or
implement procedures or policies to establish energy use and
efficiency guidelines or rules other than those "based upon" a
1975 energy conservation policy act; this could effectively
override several subsequent energy and energy-efficiency laws, and
undermine the Administration's widely praised June 1999 Executive
Order promoting energy efficiency within the Federal Government
(section 341).
-
Limitation on Receipt of Fair Market Value for Oil from
Federal Lands. Delays, for the fourth time, publication of
Interior Department final rules to establish fair market value for
the royalties paid by oil companies for oil produced on Federal
and tribal lands, costing Federal taxpayers, States, and tribes
about $68 million in FY 2000 (section 342).
|