Thank you, Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum, for your work on this bill.
The bill before us today has an allocation equal to the Fiscal Year 2018 omnibus, but unfortunately, does not reflect the same bipartisan agreement we achieved just a few months ago.
There are some good things about this bill. I thank the Chairman for including $12 million for the Long Island Sound geographic program, which improves water quality and habitat restoration, preserving the environment and supporting the regional economy. The bill would also restore funding for the Endocrine Disruptor Program and National Heritage Area programs, which the Administration proposed for elimination.
Unfortunately, the list of positives is far outweighed by the negatives. Once again, the majority has included harmful policy riders aimed at gutting environmental and conservation efforts, including removing Gray Wolves from the endangered species list and withdrawing the Waters of the United States rule, knowing this is a non-starter for Democrats. The bill would also cut the EPA by $100 million, seeking to restrict the agency’s ability to protect the air we breathe and water we drink.
I am also concerned about funding to reorganize the Department of Interior is based on a proposal that is poorly thought-out, lacks analysis, and is widely opposed by tribes.
This is certainly not a bill the Democrats would write, and because of the policy riders and cuts that could jeopardize public health for future generations, we cannot support this bill.
In addition, as with the other bills we have considered without the full slate of subcommittee allocations, it is impossible to accurately judge yet how well this bill fulfills priorities - such as creating jobs, growing the economy, and strengthening our defense - without knowing how it fits into the larger picture.
I hope we can continue working together to improve this bill and have a successful conference to produce bills with true bipartisan support.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
