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“ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2017” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E800 on May 26, 2016.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
2017
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speech of
HON. BARBARA LEE
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5055) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017, and for other purposes:
Ms. LEE. Mr. Chair, let me thank the Ranking Member and Chair for including language to recognize the importance of workplace diversity in the Department of Energy's National Laboratories and directing the Department to provide a detailed plan on the recruitment and retention with minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
I am also pleased that the bill includes language on Energy-Water Nexus initiative that I worked on with our Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur. This language encourages the Department of Energy to enter into an agreement with the Department of Agriculture at various national labs to work on development of affordable and efficient food production systems for our most food insecure communities. This is a critical step towards addressing food insecurity and poverty.
Lastly, I'm pleased that the Advanced Light Source program is fully funded in this bill at the level of $64.95 million in FY2017. This $2 million increase over FY 2016 enacted levels will ensure that these facilities remain fully operational, including the Advanced Light Source and Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab in my home district.
However, I remain deeply concerned regarding the many poison pill policy riders and low funding levels included in this spending bill.
We know that California is experiencing an unprecedented drought coupled with the real effects of climate change. The fact that most of H.R. 2898, the Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015, has shamefully been inserted into this bill is a disgrace. This harmful rider fails to adequately address critical elements of California's complex water challenges and will only worsen the effects of the drought. It would also violate existing laws protecting salmon and other endangered fish in California's Bay-Delta estuary.
I am also concerned regarding the other harmful policy riders that would shamefully allow guns on Army Corps of Engineers land and prevent implementation of the administration's Clean Water Rule.
Mr. Chairman, instead of trying to roll back vital environmental protections, we need to be proactive about preserving our environment for the health and safety of future generations. We need to make more investments in clean energy like solar, wind, and geothermal. Unfortunately, this bill does not do that.
I hope that as the process moves forward, these terrible policy riders and low allocations are resolved.
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