The Senate Committee on Appropriations has approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bill, which passed with a vote of 26-2, allocates $38.6 billion in nondefense discretionary funding.
Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, highlighted the bill's focus on various initiatives. "From programs geared toward providing clean drinking water and wastewater assistance to those that support the conservation and management of our national parks and public lands, this bill invests in an array of important initiatives. The legislation also funds important tribal programs and wildfire suppression," she said.
Senator Lisa Murkowski praised the bipartisan effort behind the legislation. “I am proud of the bipartisan and thoughtful work that went into the Interior-Environmental Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Appropriations Act, especially from Ranking Member, Senator Jeff Merkley. This legislation fulfills our commitments to Tribes while balancing energy production, conservation, and recreation. It also supports our public lands while providing for clean air, clean water, and clean soil. My thanks go to Chair Susan Collins and Vice-Chair Patty Murray for keeping this vital Appropriations process moving forward in a bipartisan manner,” she stated.
Key allocations include $15.1 billion for the Department of the Interior to manage National Parks and public lands; $6.4 billion for wildland fire management; $8.6 billion for Environmental Protection Agency grants; $8.6 billion for U.S. Forest Service activities; $8.1 billion for Indian Health Services; $1.1 billion for Smithsonian Institution and Holocaust Museum funding; and $207 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
