Copyright 2000 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company
The Times Picayune (New Orleans)
September 22, 2000 Friday
SECTION: NATIONAL; Pg. 7
LENGTH: 576 words
HEADLINE:
Clinton strongly supports oil royalty bill;
States would receive
conservation money
BYLINE: By Bruce
Alpert; Washington bureau
BODY:
WASHINGTON --
President Clinton made a strong statement of support Thursday for a
conservation bill that could generate up to
$300 million a year for Louisiana, calling it one of his
administration's top legislative goals.
Speaking from the Rose Garden,
Clinton said Congress has a unique opportunity "to give people at the grassroots
level in America a permanent source of funding to protect our natural resources"
and generate money for urban parks, ball fields and recreation areas.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., the chief sponsor of the Conservation
and Reinvestment Act, which would redistribute oil and gas royalty
payments to environmental and conservation programs, said the
president's strong support could overcome opposition by a handful of powerful
Republican senators.
While Clinton long ago signaled his support, his
announcement Thursday that he'll actively push CARA puts it on par with other
administration priority items, such as reducing class size and enacting
hate-crimes legislation, Landrieu said.
Getting some of his priority
items approved is usually the bargain the president insists on in the final days
of a session in return for accepting some congressional spending priorities in
appropriations bills.
The conservation bill, which
passed the House last year, would provide $3 billion a year for
15 years for buying land, restoring coastlines and wetlands and protecting
wildlife. Money would come from royalty payments for offshore oil and gas
leases, primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and off Alaska.
Clinton said the
bill's long-term commitment to conservation financing is both
its strength and weakness.
"The virtue of CARA is one of the things
which makes it controversial in the ordinary course of congressional
operations," Clinton said. "It would set aside money that we have coming in
every year, automatically, for these communities for these purposes, so that
they would always know that there was a stream of money there to protect the
future for our children."
Some influential senators don't like the money
flowing automatically without more controls and without Congress setting
priorities. The money now flows into the U.S. Treasury and is spent through the
regular appropriations process.
Landrieu conceded the 15-year financing
commitment has generated some powerful opponents.
On Thursday, Senate
Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Deputy Majority Leader Don
Nickles, R-Okla., reiterated their opposition.
"I don't get the feeling
that my boss feels pressured on this bill by any sort of presidential statement
making it a priority," said Brook Simmons, spokesman for Nickles.
The
bill also is opposed by some senators who fear that the money will fuel a
federal land grab, especially in the West, where the government already controls
a large share of available land.
During a meeting with legislative
leaders last week, Clinton reportedly asked Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott,
R-Miss., to move the legislation, reminding him that he is a co-sponsor. Lott
responded that he has to overcome some fairly significant opposition within the
GOP cloakroom.
But with 63 members now having signed a letter of
support, including some influential Republicans, Landrieu said the bill has a
big enough majority to overcome a threatened filibuster. She said Lott has
instructed aides to try to negotiate a final version of the bill with House
leaders and the White House.
LOAD-DATE: October 24,
2000 
