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Statement of Administration Policy provides the Administration's views
on the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations
Bill, FY 2002, as reported by the Senate Committee.
The
Administration appreciates the Committee's efforts to fund agencies
and programs at the President's request, as detailed below. The
Administration is committed to working with the Congress to enact
all 13 appropriations bills in a timely manner and within the framework
of the budget resolution. The President believes that this level
of funding will moderate the recent rapid growth in spending while
funding important national priorities. In developing the FY 2002
Budget, he sought to make reductions in one-time spending, unjustified
or duplicative programs, and programs that have completed their
mission. The Administration urges the Congress to support the President's
overall approach to the FY 2002 Budget.
The
Administration would like to take this opportunity to share some
concerns with the Committee version of the bill, as noted below.
Emergency
Funding Designations
While
the Administration appreciates that the Senate has provided funding
for firefighting at a level consistent with the Administration's
request for both the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service,
the Administration strongly opposes the designation of a portion
of these resources as an "emergency." This is not an appropriate
use of the emergency designation, since this funding is needed to
meet anticipated fire suppression requirements.
Department
of the Interior
The
Administration commends the Committee for addressing most of the
Administration's priorities for the Department of the Interior,
including funding the requests for the National Park Service (NPS)
deferred maintenance backlog, NPS Natural Resource Challenge, Bureau
of Indian Affairs school construction, landowner incentive and stewardship
grants, and Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Federal land
conservation activities.
The
Senate subcommittee bill provides $324 million of the $450 million
requested for state grant programs to be derived from the Land and
Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). However, the bill does not support
the President's request of $450 million for State LWCF grants. While
the Senate includes language to give States some flexibility to
reallocate grant funding, it redirects the request for LWCF State
grants to various specialized conservation accounts. The Administration
requests that the Senate reallocate funds to fully fund LWCF and
give State governments -- not the Federal Government -- the full
flexibility to determine how best to address the priority conservation
needs in their respective States.
While
the Administration understands there will be some additional funding
provided for unrequested land acquisition and construction projects,
the Senate bill directs nearly $140 million, or 25 percent, of Interior
Department land acquisition and construction project funds toward
unrequested projects. This is nearly $60 million above the $80 million
earmarked by the Senate last year. Many of these projects subsidize
non-Federal responsibilities outside of national parks and refuges,
while others are for new, unrequested facilities. Agencies can only
meet performance goals, such as eliminating the current NPS backlog
of deferred maintenance priorities, if Congress funds program priorities.
The Administration urges the Senate to refocus funding toward requested
projects that address high priority deferred maintenance projects
and other priority needs.
While
we appreciate the funding that the Senate has included for the Endangered
Species Act listing program, we are concerned that the bill language
would perpetuate a listing program that is driven by court decisions
rather than by the need to protect species. The Senate is encouraged
to include the language proposed in the President's budget to address
this issue.
Department
of Energy (DOE)
The
Committee action is consistent with, and largely supportive of,
the President's National Energy Policy. On May 17th, with the release
of the President's National Energy Policy, the President directed
DOE to undertake a review of existing energy efficiency and alternative
and renewable energy research and development (R&D) programs to
ensure future program budget allocations are performance-based and
modeled as public-private partnerships. Based on the Secretary of
Energy's preliminary review, the Senate Committee action to include
an additional $175 million for energy conservation R&D may be supportive
of the President's objectives. The Administration looks forward
to working with Congress through conference to ensure the allocation
of these resources to those programs that most effectively meet
performance-based criteria. We will also work with Congress to fund
the most efficient program alternatives by reducing lower priority
program resources. In particular, the Administration believes it
is necessary to leverage applied R&D funds to a greater extent by
increasing the industry cost share. This would be particularly useful
in some DOE programs, especially as R&D projects move closer to
commercialization. This principle was outlined in the February Blueprint
and the President's budget submission.
The
Administration appreciates that the Committee has fully funded the
President's initiative to create a new and innovative Clean Coal
Power program, which will allow better use of our most abundant
domestic energy source in an environmentally sound way. However,
the Administration objects to language requiring the initiative
to be implemented similarly to the existing Clean Coal Program.
This provision would unduly restrict the President's proposal to
fund innovative research and development projects at universities,
government laboratories, and private companies, and demonstrate
new technologies in partnership with the private sector and we urge
the Senate to delete this restrictive provision.
The
Administration also appreciates that the Committee has supported
the President's request for the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve,
to help assure families in the Northeast that home heating oil will
be available next winter. However, the Administration is concerned
that the Committee funded only half of the President's requested
$120 million increase for the low-income Weatherization Assistance
Program, a Presidential initiative. The Committee's action would
deny program benefits for 25,000 to 30,000 low-income families,
relative to the President's request. The Administration believes
funds would be better spent on helping low-income families reduce
their energy bills and improve their quality of life through the
weatherization program and urges the Senate to fully fund the President's
initiative.
The
Blueprint also discussed the President's intent to reverse
misleading budget practices. In this regard, the Administration
strongly opposes the use of advance appropriations, such as the
advance appropriation included in the bill for the Elk Hills School
Lands Fund, to avoid spending limitations. There is no programmatic
justification for an advance appropriation for Elk Hills, and we
urge the Senate to adopt the budget proposal to fully fund this
program through FY 2002 appropriations.
The
Administration objects to the Committee bill's earmarks of $56 million
for 14 projects, including $9 million for the Cooperative Research
program in the Fossil R&D account. Consistent with sound management
practices for the conduct of R&D activities, the Administration
recommends these projects be selected through a competitive process.
Department
of Agriculture
The
Administration appreciates the Committee's efforts in addressing
Administration funding priorities for the Forest Service. The Committee
funds increased recreation opportunities to the public and supports
key restoration land treatments in the National Forest System. The
Committee's action will enable the agency to provide hazardous fuels
reductions in over 500,000 acres of mostly Federal lands, providing
direct assistance to over 2,000 communities in the wildland urban
interface. However, the Administration is concerned that the Senate
has earmarked over 50 percent of the Economic Action and the Forest
Legacy programs and urges the Senate to allow for competitive allocation
of these resources.
The
Administration does not support a provision that would exempt residents
living near the White Mountain National Forest from certain user
fees. Fees collected from the recreation fee demonstration program
are retained for spending locally, and as a result, local communities
members benefit more than do visitors from other areas. In general,
special exemptions for particular citizens are inappropriate for
user fees.
Infringement
on Executive Authority
The
Administration objects to a number of provisions in the Committee
bill that would require Committee approval before Executive Branch
execution. The Administration will interpret these provisions to
require only notification of Congress, since any other interpretation
would contradict the Supreme Court ruling in INS v. Chadha.
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