▶ 0:19:20call this meeting to order. Uh I'd like to welcome everyone to today's meeting. Uh today we'll be marking up our Interior Environment and Related agencies appropriations measure for fiscal year 2026. As with our previous markup, it's my intention to complete all of our work on this bill today. Uh we'll take a recess for floor votes as needed uh as we normally do.
▶ 0:19:48In addition, there is an event this evening at the White House for many of our members will be attending. If we're not finished with our markup at that time, which would be about 5:30, uh then we'll recess and come back, which would be about 8:30. I I hope we can make it because we don't have that many amendments, but if not, we are going to get the bill done. Uh we've had also had some other scheduling changes that we were all up here unaware of on both sides of the aisle.
▶ 0:20:16Uh so, um I'm going to be consulting with the ranking member. We're going to see what we can do to speed things up on Wednesday and Thursday. Uh it ranges everything from starting earlier and we'll agree upon a time that hopefully is everybody's convenient to potentially and I really want to underline potentially because none of this, you know, could we do two deals in one day? We've done that before and give you back Thursday.
▶ 0:20:43But again, those decisions will be made in consultation with the ranking member. And if uh you've got opinions uh on uh the other side of the aisle, please confer with your ranking member. Same thing uh on our side. This has just come up recently, so we haven't had a chance to really sit down and talk about it. But my guess is you all would like to be home rather than enjoying one another's company and a markup. So, uh we will we will try to work to expedite things. But I I do want to be crystal clear.
▶ 0:21:12We will finish all three of the bills that were scheduled before we head out of here. So, just be aware of that. Uh, and again, as soon as the ranking member and I have a chance to to work this out, I'm sure we'll get the information to you right away. Uh, our only order of business today again is the consideration of interior environment and related agencies appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026. I'll now recognize Chairman Simpson to present the bill.
▶ 0:21:42Thank you, Chairman Clo. Uh, I'm pleased to present the fiscal year 2026 Interior Environment and Related Agencies Appropriation Act. Today's bill has a wide reach from our national parks to the water and our pipes. It funds fighting wildfires uh out west and now across the rest of the country and furthers our commitment to our tribal our tribal nations.
▶ 0:22:03The bill before us today targets resources to reduce energy costs, protect American jobs, and preserve access to our public lands for recreation, hunting, development, and protect our natural resources that we love in this country. I recognize we cannot tackle the nation's entire debt through the appropriations committee discretionary spending only uh because discretionary spending only amounts to roughly 26% of the US expenditures. The national debt, however, has reached in excess of 36 trillion.
▶ 0:22:32The level of funding in this bill takes a necessary step toward fiscal responsibility. The the Interior bill provides 37.971 billion in spending which is 2.54 billion or 6.2% below the fiscal year 2025 enacted level.
▶ 0:22:51The bill provides funding where it is needed most by fully funding payment in lie of taxes uh that program and wildfire fighting pay and by making strong investments to further the federal government's trust and treaty responsibility and obligations to our tribes. The bill includes strategic increases to important tribal programs in addition to fully funding contract support costs and the 105 L leases.
▶ 0:23:15provides 1.5 billion for the Bureau of Indian Education and 6 billion in advanced appropriations for Indian Health Services and 771.8 million for law enforcement within the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
▶ 0:23:29In addition to providing significant resources to support public safety and justice on tribal lands, the bill also reestablishes the very successful opioid reduction task force, which was created under the first Trump administration by our now colleague and former interior secretary uh Zinci and was unwisely halted during the Biden administration.
▶ 0:23:51This narcotics reduction task force will dismantle and disrupt the opio opioid, heroin, and other dangerous drug distribution networks running rampant in Indian country and promote safety on tribal lands. Taken together, pilt, firefighting pay, and and tribal programs total 14.7 billion or 39% uh of the spending in this bill.
▶ 0:24:15Because we've committed to prioritizing these costs, that means the rest of the bill saw even bigger reductions uh to hit our allocation. This includes a 23% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency. Despite these reductions, the bill champions American energy dominance and US mineral production by supporting requested increases for conventional energy development, expanding access to hard rock and critical minerals, and reversing harmful Biden area air era policies such as costly EPA regulations
▶ 0:24:45and endangered species act listings used to block responsible development. These provisions will unleash American energy, finally putting America, industry, and businesses first. The bill also includes important policies to ensure our public lands remain accessible by blocking unnecessary restrictions on hunting, fishing, and recreation industries and supporting timber production.
▶ 0:25:07In closing, the Interior Bill before us funds many important programs that help conserve our nation's natural and financial resources, prioritizing investments that matter to our businesses, industries, tribes, and communities across this country. I'd like to thank Chairman Cole for his strong support and leadership of this committee and of this subcommittee as well as ranking member Deloro and ranking member Pingri. Uh I have truly enjoyed working with the ranking member uh both of the full committee and of the subcommittee uh on this bill.
▶ 0:25:35We've had great hearings uh and I think uh are in agreement on a lot of things but disagreement on some things. I look forward to continuing our work together. And lastly, I want to thank the members of staff on both sides of the of the aisle. as every uh chairman of a subcommittee stands up, they will tell you that this would not be possible without the hard work of the staff on both sides of the aisle uh to get these bills as far as they have. With that, I would yield back the balance of my time. Thank the gentleman.
▶ 0:26:03I'd now like to recognize Miss Pingry for remarks on the Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you for yielding me the time. Uh first, I want to thank uh ranking me or the chair, Mr. Simpson for the great working relationship we have on this committee and thank you to Chairman Cole as well.
▶ 0:26:23Also to Rosa Dellora, the ranking member of the full committee for her amazing hard work on this committee and to the staff on both sides of the aisle who work so hard to put together this legislation and in particular the minority staff of this committee, Rita Culp, Joselyn Hun, and Michael Schmeltz. Thank you so much for all the work to get us here today. But I guess the first question I'd have to ask of the appropriators on this committee is why are we actually here today? What what is our role now as appropriators?
▶ 0:26:53In the last six months, we've seen President Trump um propose a dramatic diminishment in the power of this committee and of the Congress. Now, we and Dem as the Democrats are in the minority. We don't expect to have a lot of power, but for all of us on this appropriations committee, why are we here? And what is our role now as appropriators? You know, everyone is so fond of saying there are Republicans and Democrats and appropriators, but really, are there repropriators anymore?
▶ 0:27:22Do we actually have a role in this Congress? And do we have any more power? Last week, the majority passed the recisions package through the House, the Senate, back to the House again. And that bill eliminated spending that we had negotiated over the prior years. The hard work that we do every day in this committee, the hard work you're doing right now, the snacks that you eat, the candy that's going into your mouth, the amount of time that we take, that is all gone when we pass a recisions bill.
▶ 0:27:49And how will it be any different once we pass this bill or the other bills we intend to pass this week? I truly appreciate Chairman Cole's efforts to have this committee work through these bills and pass these bills, but the question is what are we doing and do we have any power left anymore? Now, this bill, like so many others, will continue the damage and the cuts that this president has done over the first six months of his presidency. I believe what he has done is illegal.
▶ 0:28:17these funding freezees and recisions and the compound damage he has done to our agencies and our states and communities is something we will be dealing with for years. This bill in particular at the EPA cuts the funding to the states for water infrastructure by 62% cuts grant programs that are fund our state environmental programs and slashes the EPA by 23%. Nobody benefits when we make those levels of cuts.
▶ 0:28:46Our states still have to do the work of water infrastructure, of permitting, and the cuts in this bill, coupled with the recisions in the big ugly bill, will debilitate America's ability to address the climate crisis or to address our infrastructure needs or to make sure our vital needs in our states of permitting will be enacted. This presidency, this administration is no longer just in denial.
▶ 0:29:12It is actively dismissing the government's climate work and our vital environmental work. And this is work that needs to be done if we want to make sure we have a planet to hand over to our children and grandchildren. Now, at the National Park Service, this bill cuts $213 million. And this is in addition to what happened in the big ugly bill where nearly a half a billion dollars was rescended from our national parks and our public law lands.
▶ 0:29:42This is money that's meant to go to conservation projects and habit restoration, habitat restoration and critical staffing at our national parks. This is our vital season for national parks and Americans want to be there. And it is all compounded because we have not reauthorized the Great American Outdoors Act, which is another $1.3 billion that should be going for the maintenance backlog. This bill also funds the arts, but what a mess this administration has made of that.
▶ 0:30:10It was appalling to watch this administration illegally terminate thousands of grants at the NEA and the NE. They fired nearly 80% of the NE staffed and they revoked funding for our state humanities council. This is money that's meant to go to our communities, to our artists and workers, to kids and rural schools, to local economies that rely on cultural institutions and that don't have a lot of other sources for funding.
▶ 0:30:38They've cut the Smithsonian by 12%, the National Gallery by 11%. And cutting these fines, by cutting these funds and sidelining anything that they deem artistically and culturally offensive, they are gutting our arts and cultural institutions. I am relieved and I am grateful to the chair of the subcommittee and the full committee that funding for tribal programs didn't suffer the same cuts. and I appreciate that bipartisan cooperation and understanding of our treaty and trust obligation.
▶ 0:31:09This bill also has 72 poison pill riders going after environmental protection, undermining our climate policies and adding to our deficit. And overall, these cuts will only contribute to our struggling agencies at the time same time. Well, these uh this administration is redirecting funds to tax cuts and increasing our deficit by $3.4 4 trillion. So I just want to go back to ending as I started this opening.
▶ 0:31:38OM director vote has promised to send us more recision packages. Each time we pass a recision package, we undo we wipe out all the hard work we do negotiating in this committee. He said he's looking to change the paradigm in appropriations and that appropriations has to be less bipartisan. When's the last time one of your constituents came up to you and said, "You people should be less bipartisan?
▶ 0:32:06You people should fight more, bicker more, and do less of what we ask you to do." How often do you hear that? Now, we're appropriators, and we're all proud to get to this moment when we actually get to serve on this committee. So, let's do our job. Let's be appropriators and let's fight back for the power that goes to this committee and to our Congress. I encourage you to oppose this bill, unfortunately. and I yield back my time. And thank the gentle lady. I now recognize recognize myself for remarks on the bill.
▶ 0:32:35I'd like to start by thanking Chairman Simpson for all his work on this bill. I'd also like to thank Ranking Member Delora and Ranking Member Pingri for all their continued partnership. The bill before us today honors both our commitment to preserve America's natural heritage and our duty to ensure a strong, sustainable, and fiscally responsible future. This bill supports President Trump's agenda to unleash American energy and cut red tape.
▶ 0:33:03We include provisions that reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, protect American jobs, and lower energy costs. With a focus on US energy dominance, we strengthen our national security by expanding access to critical minerals. At the same time, we're committed to honoring our trust and treaty responsibilities to American Indians and Alaskan natives. Chairman Simpson's bill is a testament to that.
▶ 0:33:27I'm proud that the legislation prioritizes funding across tribal accounts and supports the delivery of critical services in Indian country. Overall, Chairman Simpson has demonstrated the importance of allocating resources where they are needed most. Funding has been reduced for lower priority programs and strategically reallocated to more urgent needs. This measure thoughtfully supports access to our public lands and maintains vital resources to support wildfire response.
▶ 0:33:57This bill focuses on America's priorities while cutting billions in spending from the previous fiscal year, demonstrating strong stewardship of America's natural and financial resources. I'd like to thank Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingri, full committee ranking member Deloro, and the majority in the minority staff for their hard work. As Chairman Simpson said, without great staff work, none of this could happen. I look forward to consideration of this bill today and I thank you and yield back.
▶ 0:34:28I'd now like to recognize my very good friend, the ranking member of the full committee, Representative Dellor for her opening I thank the chair and I also uh thank Chairman Simpson uh ranking member of Pingri as well. And uh I think as we all uh attest that we do work together, we have differences. Uh but our goal is to in fact produce uh appropriations bills that meet the needs of the American people.
▶ 0:34:58Uh and uh that is what our our goal is. I want to thank staff on both sides of the aisle for their work and I want to particularly thank Rita Culp, Jocelyn Hun, and Michael Schmelts. I oppose the bill before us today, which would raise utility bills and energy prices, would worsen the climate crisis, put polluters over public health, and abandon stewardship of our national parks, all to benefit billionaires and big corporations. We are in the middle of a cost of living crisis.
▶ 0:35:28President Trump promised to lower costs on day one, but instead uh he and House Republicans are making the cost of living crisis even worse. The big ugly law is handing massive tax breaks to billionaires and to the biggest corporations while driving up energy costs for homes and for businesses. Today we are considering another House Republican bill which will raise costs for struggling working families, the working class, middle class.
▶ 0:35:52It will damage our public lands, promote dirty energy, threaten Americans health by exposing them to more polluted air and water. Never mind that we never received a complete budget from the White House. We are holding this markup in a completely unprecedented time with Congress's authority being challenged by a lawless administration.
▶ 0:36:11Since taking office, the Trump administration has stolen resources appropriated by this committee passed by Democrats and Republicans in the House and in the Senate for programs and services across the federal government, including several in this bill that help to lower costs for the middle class and working class, protect vulnerable populations, and keep our environment clean.
▶ 0:36:32The administration has unlawfully frozen, attacked, and destroyed grants that help tribes with hazard mitigation, grants that support the recovery of endangered species, grants that decrease flooding risks, and the grants that help restore areas damaged by floods and wildfires. Scores of public servants were laid off and the environmental protection uh agency just announced it will be eliminating its entire office of research and development impounding $749 million of funds appropriated by Congress.
▶ 0:37:01These cuts are not numbers on the page. They're not only felt in Washington DC. They affect all of our communities. Mary, a Connecticut grandmother, was devastated when her granddaughter, a trained EMT, skilled ice climber and member of the alpine rescue team, was fired from her job at Mount Ranger National Park. Mary's granddaughter had worked for the National Park Service for over 5 years. But because she had transferred to Mount Rineer less than a year ago, she was technically a probationary employee.
▶ 0:37:31Doge and Elon Musk decided that Mary's granddaughter's public service was less valuable than another tax break for billionaires. Lost and injured climbers in Mount Rineer National Park will pay the price. I ask my colleagues, "Do your constituents consider our national parks waste, fraud, and abuse? Do they come to your town halls and complain that there were too many employees at national parks?" I doubt it.
▶ 0:37:55All of the departments, agencies, and programs whose funding has been stolen, Congress enacted and appropriated funding for is in the law. They are substituting Congress's decisions and judgment with their own, turning Article One of the Constitution on its head. Unfortunately, this bill doubles down on President Trump's propolution and anti-environment, anti- parks agenda. Because of this bill, families will pay more at the pump and on their utility bills.
▶ 0:38:24Thanks to deep cuts to funding for infrastructure and the removal of important vehicle emissions regulations, this bill abandons our children and our grandchildren will have to confront an ever worsening climate crisis by eviscerating the EPA, reducing science funding, promoting fossil fuel lease sales on public lands, and deconstructing critical emissions regulations.
▶ 0:38:46This bill will worsen Americans health by ending enforcement of numerous Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act regulations as well as hazardous waste and pesticide laws and by allowing corporations to spew toxic pollution into our communities. And this bill slashes the funding for national parks and exploits our public lands for the sake of corporate profits.
▶ 0:39:07Underfunding the National Park Service, especially after DOE viscerated park service standing, means fewer seasonal employees, making more difficult and cumbersome for our constituents to visit to enjoy this nation's beautiful parks and the 332 million annual visits visitors to the parks are vital to the economy of so many states.
▶ 0:39:28Funding for the Smithsonian Institution, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities is severely cut, diminishing and suppressing education of America's culture, history, and values. I headed up the Arts Council of Greater New Haven. I opened the New Haven's International Festival of Arts and Ideas every year. Celebrating America's achievements and contributions to the arts is critical to our national identity and unity. And these programs ensure all Americans can enjoy our shared culture.
▶ 0:39:57The arts and humanities are the soul of this nation. Americans cannot keep up with the everinccreasing cost of living. But instead of working with Democrats to make investments that can help to lower costs, protect our environment, preserve our public lands and institutions. Republicans have put forward a bill that favors billionaires and corporations right to pollute, destroy the environment over the health and safety of the American people. cannot support this bill and I urge my colleagues to vote no. I yield back.
▶ 0:40:29I thank the gentle lady for her remarks. Are there any other members wishing to make general comments about the bill? Uh I think u Mr. Rogers is recognized for general remarks on the bill.
▶ 0:40:59for the hard work you put into this bill. This was a difficult bill to write and I want to say a special thanks to the chairman uh for work that he has done.
▶ 0:41:14I want to personally uh thank all of you on this committee, especially Chairman Simpson for continuing to support the abandoned mine lands AML economic revitalization program at Department of the Interior.
▶ 0:41:37The provisions in this bill will continue the mission of this to provide a shot of adrenaline to our communities reeling from the decline of coal.
▶ 0:41:55Those of us who represent coal country have long been searching for ways to help hardworking people in these communities who are looking for new opportunities. This program which you created in 2016 does just that.
▶ 0:42:19Thanks to your leadership, this committee has seized a great to utilize this reclaimed land to create jobs in struggling The AML Economic Revitalization Program, a win-win. Good for the environment, good for jobs.
▶ 0:42:47It has bipartisan support in Congress and truly is making a difference. I also want to thank the chair for maintaining full funding of the payments in lie of taxes program built.
▶ 0:43:10Many counties in my district have large swaths of federal lands and being able to re recoup uh the lost tax revenue is vital for funding their schools, emergency services, many other crucial public This bill makes responsible cuts while continuing to further
▶ 0:43:41the charters of the departments and agencies under its umbrella. So I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back. I thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Maryland, Mr. Hoyer, is recognized for general remarks on the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have referred to many of these bills over the last number of years as the product of the yo-yo philosophy.
▶ 0:44:12The yo-yo philosophy says you're on your You take care of yourself. We're not going to help you. This bill in many respects reflects that and I say that with extraordinary respect and affection of the chairman of the subcommittee who I believe is one of the most
▶ 0:44:43members of the Congress. But that's the message this bill sends to the American people. You're on your own if you want to save money on electricity with this legislation cutting funding from green energy projects that generate a fifth of America's energy.
▶ 0:45:03You're on your own and your community uh if your community lacks access to clean water with a 62% cut in this bill to drinking water and sewage infrastructure projects. You're on your own if you want your families to have clean air to breathe.
▶ 0:45:21As this bill includes dozens of riders that rolled back the federal government's ability to crack down on Crucially, you're on your own if you want to protect our public lands. These cuts affect every corner of the country. In Maryland, for instance, I'm concerned about what the nearly 5% cut to the Environmental Protection AY's geographic program will mean to the Chep Chesapeake Bay.
▶ 0:45:52Not only an extraordinary asset for the state of Maryland, but extraordinary asset for our country. This bill, Mr. chairman will also have severe impact on the National Park Service, cutting it by roughly 6% below the fiscal year 25 budget, which was of course the fiscal year 24 budget.
▶ 0:46:15My office has been in contact uh with the team down at Pascataway Park in my district, and they're rightfully worried about what the cut to the park service will mean for their institution and the community it supports.
▶ 0:46:30Same is true of the parks across the country in your districts, especially at a time when the Trump administration has illegally purged some 1,000 National Park rangers. One of them used uh to work at the Fort Mckenry National Monument, a historic shrine in Baltimore, said this in a letter to me. My skills were not looked into.
▶ 0:47:01The work that I had been doing was not looked into. It was just an arbitrary slash and burn. I've said this before. Doge had no idea of the consequences of actions. It was sort of like the 3,000 a week objective. It was not based upon analysis. It was based upon a number.
▶ 0:47:24I urge my colleagues to help stop that slash and burn by voting against this and very frankly uh allowing Mr. Simpson and Miss Bingry to bring a bill to the floor, bring the bill to this committee that would get votes on both sides. That was true at one time. Uh some of you have never been here when that's been true.
▶ 0:47:52Uh and that's a shame because it was a productive process. The chairman said when we left uh after the last bill last week that this these numbers were not going to be the same. This language was not going to be the same. It was going to be different. I think that's true.
▶ 0:48:13But it's going to be much more difficult and much more probable that we'll have a CR or maybe an omnibus in December or maybe March 15th of 2026 u halfway through the fiscal year pass a 26 appropriation bill. That's We ought to be working together.
▶ 0:48:36And this bill deals with, as the ranking member said, the legacy we will leave our children and our obligation as stewards of our land, our water, and our air. Sadly, I'm going to be voting against this bill. And I do mean that because this is an important bill for the country, for the future, for the legacy that we will leave.
▶ 0:49:06I yield back. I thank the gentleman. The gentle lady from Ohio, Miss Kapper, is recognized for remarks on the bill. Thank you, uh, Mr. Chairman, uh, Chairman Simpson, uh, and, uh, Ranking Member Pingri, Chairman Cole, Ranking Member Deloro. Thank you all for your hard work on this bill. and the members of the subcommittee.
▶ 0:49:32I appreciate that several of my priorities were included in the chairman's mark. In particular, I'm glad to see the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative or GLRI funded at the fiscal 2025 enacted level.
▶ 0:49:47However, I believe there's a fundamental in this bill and especially by the Trump administration on how EPA's geographic programs are meant to operate as supplementary to the broader mission and programming of the Environmental Protection Agency. This is a big country. 350 million rising to 400 million before long.
▶ 0:50:12And over the last uh 40 year over the last 15 years, the 40 million people who rely on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, recreation, and economic growth have witness the enormous difference the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has had on our progress as a region. GLRI has restored wetland habitat, cleaned up old toxic industrial waste sites.
▶ 0:50:41I feel like I spent so much of my career just cleaning up old toxic industrial waste sites and also helped reestablish wildlife that had been struggling. In Ohio alone, the bald eagle precarious count was just four nesting pairs in 1979 as DDT had almost eliminated that species.
▶ 0:51:01With GLA's focus, we um now marvel at over 900 nests, including hundreds in Lake Erie's western basin, which millions of people call home. The Great Lakes are the largest body of fresh water on Earth, the life source for over 40 million people, and we must respect its bounty for our country and continent's future. The accomplishments of the GLRI has made that what is made across our region has been hard fought.
▶ 0:51:31But progress has only been possible with the underlying science base of EPA and its staff to help us identify what to clean up, especially the deadly pollutants across our freshwater lakes. The city of Toledo unfortunately had its fresh water shut off in 2014 as toxic algolooms got in our freshwater supply. Our region never wants to relive that nightmare.
▶ 0:52:01And I don't want any of you and your people ever to have that as thousands of people panicked and drove around the region to try to buy bottled water at different outlets that was snapped off the shelves until they were empty. and kind citizens drove in with trucks, uh, big trucks full of water and soda pop to try to hand it out for free in parking lots to help us endure that terrible three-day weekend.
▶ 0:52:26No further progress across our lakes can be made if the majority is allowed to gut this agency. So, I must protest the allocation of the Environment Protection Agency at 2.1 billion dollar below the current fiscal year, a 23% cut. 23%. Our Great Lakes alone could use all that money.
▶ 0:52:49I realize that EPA is a great political punching bag, but ultimately its statutory purpose is to protect human life, our people's health, and our environment. The EPA is pro-life. For our region, it's not a choice, but an imperative to keep EPA funded.
▶ 0:53:09Big cuts to clean air accounts and significant reductions to water quality programs needlessly endanger the well-being of Americans, numerous species, and our corner of the world. With all the cuts that already have been made to medical facilities and health care, our medical medical communities are very worried and stretched to deal with increasing numbers of patients coming into emergency rooms.
▶ 0:53:35As healthc care resources diminish, a child sick on toxic algolooms, my friends, is an emergency room case. And it's coming because we won't have the funds to deal with the reality of what we face. The bill before us today cuts 1.2 billion or 30% from EPA's core science and environmental programs. That is driving the boat backwards.
▶ 0:54:00This cut will further delay permitting permitting despite the Republicans's insistence that they want to streamline it. You simply can't cut 30% of resources and then expect quicker service. Can't do it. These cuts are affecting our communities already as our country has witnessed terrible flooding over the last few weeks as we've all known.
▶ 0:54:21And rather than stepping into their leadership responsibilities and making investments in clean, safe drinking water and watershed management, my Republican colleagues are proposing a $662 million cut from the clean water and drinking water state revolving funds. To be clear, America's population is growing, but you're giving us less funds when our constituents need it most to protect themselves and their families from going underwater, both physically and financially.
▶ 0:54:50The costs of water and sewer installations are rising and for many families are unaffordable. In Ohio, families, sewer installations are rising and they are leaving trying to find and relocating because they simply can't pay these bills. As always, I thank you, Mr. Chairman, and for delivering results and I hope that we can work this through to provide a realistic bill to meet the current needs of America, not the needs of 1946. Thank you, and I yield back. Thank gentle lady.
▶ 0:55:20Uh the gentleman from Washington, Mr. New House, is recognized for comments on the bill. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I s sincerely do rise to support this piece of legislation, this bill today and very much appreciate the work of the chairman, the ranking member, all of the staff, as well as the members of the committee for the important work they did to put this bill together. I want to highlight a couple of things about this bill that are particularly important to central Washington.
▶ 0:55:48Uh first of all, I'm glad to see the prohibition of the introduction of grizzly bears into central Washington. Um that's something that the previous administration was absolutely determined to for force onto my constituents. So, thank you very much for that. I also appreciate and this is something that I I I want to illustrate to you is absolutely critical.
▶ 0:56:10the but the inclusion of the concerns around the Yakama Tayatin irrigation district in central Washington which as a a canal a critical artery for bringing important irrigation water to parts of the Yakama Valley is literally hanging on the side of a hill because of a a wildfire last year and now it's in uh desperate need of attention and repair and replacement.
▶ 0:56:37So, thank you for the inclusion of language to support uh making sure that we can continue to have water flowing and operating that canal. I also want to highlight all of the chairman's work in this bill around wildfire readiness and timber production, including highlighting the need in the onblock to address the forestry staffing issues within the Bureau of Indian Affairs in South Central Washington so that we can all
▶ 0:57:07keep ours running at full capacity. This bill retains the critical support of the conservation of our nation's natural resources while exemplifying fiscal responsibility. And I know that's very difficult for some. I'm I'm very proud to support this bill today. I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I also want to give special thanks to ranking member Pingri for bringing us some of the very best of the state of Maine to enjoy today. So, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 0:57:38Perhaps the gentle lady will do that for the entire committee at some point. Uh gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Klyurn is recognized for remarks on the Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you, Chairman Simpkins, Rank Members Delaro and Pingri for bringing forth this legislation which I uh cannot support.
▶ 0:58:05I am particularly disheartened by the focus uh on the cutting of 62% of the funding uh for water systems uh in our great country.
▶ 0:58:18These water systems of of tremendous benefit uh to rural communities and in my home state of South Carolina, tourism and transportation are my state's number one and two industries.
▶ 0:58:37And heritage tourism is the fastest growing of all tourism and uh it is of tremendous benefit uh to rural communities because uh they help to attract investments in these states.
▶ 0:58:57There are 63 national parks uh in the country and uh they invest around 55.6 6 billion dollar in these communities, mostly rural, uh supporting 400,000 jobs.
▶ 0:59:15This bill cuts more than $213 uh from the National Park Service operational budget on top of the cuts of the big ugly bill that took away more than $267 million uh from Bureau of Land Management that Congress had previously approved.
▶ 0:59:37And if that's not enough, this bill cuts $129 uh from the Smithsonian museums. Much of this has to do with the Republican obsession with DEI which is reflected in several harmful writers to this bill.
▶ 1:00:02sections 440, all add up to an awareness uh undermining awarenesses of uh civil rights principles. Mr. Chairman, uh I uh were serving in this Congress back in 1993.
▶ 1:00:32uh when General Jimmy Doolittle passed away, he was one of the most uh aeronautics people uh in our country and our schools all over the country celebrate him. Uh I remember him in the textbooks when I was a public school teacher.
▶ 1:01:02But in the name of DEI, we are now saying that it's okay for school systems, for states to invest in Jimmy Doodle, but you cannot invest in teaching about General Daniel Chappie James. Both of them served in World War II. Both of them were outstanding pilots. one white, the other one black.
▶ 1:01:33And we are now saying that the black guy, if you put anything in the textbooks about him, it violates a principle. You can write all you want about Jimmy Dudalism and nothing is a miss. Where is the shame in all of this? Both of these men gave great contributions to winning that war in World War II.
▶ 1:02:01They made a movie about Chappie James and the other Tuskegee airmen. That's all right. But the state, the nation honor them. There's something wrong with that. Now, Mr. Chairman, there's much more I would like to say about this bill, but I know my time is running out, but I'm going to just close with this. I represent Charleston, South Carolina.
▶ 1:02:30A lot of y'all call that the great city. I love the city. Keep a home there. Charleston, the entire peninsula is in my congressional district. Charson is where over 40% of the African-Americans that came into this country came through Gaston Wolf. All of you know the Gaston flag though you've appropriated something many people appropriated something different to it.
▶ 1:02:58You know the yellow flag with the snake on it named after Gaston who owned Gaston Wolf. Uh that flag we celebrated in South Carolina. It was a good thing, but all of a sudden people have made a bad thing out of it. We have museums to celebrate the goodness of America.
▶ 1:03:22The National African-American Museum, the International African-American Museum, these are the goodnesses of our great country that we ought to celebrate and we ought not be denigrating them with a appropriations bill like this and we're bringing forward. I apologize, Mr. chair from for exceeding my time. Uh, I'll yield back, but thank you so much for allowing me to express my feelings on this bad bill. Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Georgia, Mr.
▶ 1:03:51Bishop, is recognized for general remarks on the Thank you very much, uh, Chair Cole, and thank you, Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Delaro, and Ranking Member Pingry for your work on this bill. I have to speak in opposition to the FY26 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill.
▶ 1:04:19We've marked up seven bills so far in this sub in full committee and I have yet to see a bill that does not unfund, underfund or deprioritize agencies and programs that help everyday This bill is no different. I'm disappointed with the majority seemingly tilting at windmills when everyday Americans are suffering.
▶ 1:04:48I've seen it firsthand in the city of Thomasville, Georgia that I represent where a grant for wastewater infrastructure and a health clinic were inextricably terminated because the administration deemed it too woke.
▶ 1:05:07Tell me how is upgrading water and health clinic uh ho how is that and why do innocent people have to suffer in this relentless attack on Biden era rather than fighting to restore these illegally terminated programs.
▶ 1:05:30My Republican colleagues are fine with cutting essential infrastructure programs in their own backyards, which they did when they rescended the impounded funds for the Thomasville project and hundreds of others in the big ugly bill. And now my colleagues are pushing a 23% cut to EPA's budget.
▶ 1:05:53I'm not the biggest fan of everything that EPA does And I think many of you can attest to that, but I don't see how cutting water infrastructure funding benefits anybody. I think everyone here understands that when you keep pushing back infrastructure repairs, the damage gets worse and simple fixes turn into expensive headaches. This is incredibly shortsighted.
▶ 1:06:23This bill cuts funds for our national parks. As you've heard, we've already seen national parks across the country decrease the services that they offer to the public, which includes trash collection, trail cleaning, and even staffing entrances. National parks are the lifeblood of many of our rural communities, and they showcase some of the most beautiful terrain in our country. If we want our children and families to get outside more, this is not the way.
▶ 1:06:52The bill also significantly cuts funding for the Bureau of Labor Management, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Geological Survey, and the Forest Service. These agencies are tasked with stewarding our natural resources for future generations and the benefit of our country. It is not appropriate to be pennywise and pound foolish with our lands and the economic value that they provide.
▶ 1:07:19Let me say to my friends on the other side of the aisle, it is possible to protect public lands and at the same time use them to promote our economy. But this bill does not find that balance. Instead, it threatens rural communities, burdens conservation, and cuts much needed funding for underserved populations.
▶ 1:07:44I oppose this bill and again I urge my Republican colleagues to engage in dialogue and return to legislating in a bipartisan manner so that our work product at the end of this process will ensure and endure to the long and shortterm benefit of everyday American families now in this generation for years and generations ahead.
▶ 1:08:12head with that. Mr. Chairman, I regret that I can't support this bill and I urge a bipartisan effort to come together and let's do better. I yield back. I thank the gentleman. Gentle lady from Minnesota, Mr. McCullum is recognized for general remarks on the bill. For the courtesy of the yielding, Mr. Chair. First, I want to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Pangry and the entire staff on both sides of the aisle for your work on this subcommittee.
▶ 1:08:43I know firsthand that difficult choices are made when putting this bill together, but there are many parts of this bill that I have concerns with. But before I get to that, I want to recognize the continued and as I describe it, nonpartisan support from Chairman Cole, Chairman Simpson, uh, Ranking Member Pingri, and Ranking Member Delora for all of us who work together on this subcommittee for upholding our tribal trust and treaty responsibilities.
▶ 1:09:11We stood united on this in the Interior Subcommittee for decades, and it's one of the reasons why I'm proud to say I'm an appropriator. I also want to thank you for your commitment from both of you, ranking member and chair, for including advanced appropriations for the Indian Health Service for the fourth year in a row. We know that this will continue to save But this bill is far from perfect. This bill of uh disinvests in life-saving public health work at the Environmental Protection Agency.
▶ 1:09:42And don't kid yourself, it impacts every single one of us. The 23% of the EPA's budget halting climate regulation will severely harm the quality of life for Americans now and in generations to come. Believe it or not, the EP helps us to live longer, healthier lives. It protects the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil in which we receive nourishment from. The EPA cleans up after environmental emergencies.
▶ 1:10:11I hope you never have one in your district. I did. the state couldn't have handled it without the support we got from the national uh uh federal tax dollars that the EPA had. Some of these things that happen are man-made. That was what happened in my district. But also, some of the national emergencies that the EPA reacts to are from nature.
▶ 1:10:35So whether you're tackling a legacy industrial pollution uh site at a super fund or whether you're cleaning up after a wildland fire or hurricane or a flood, the EPA is there to help protect and save life. The science at the Office of Research and Development support every aspect of the EPA's vision by supplying the best available science to use in its decisions as it is required to by law.
▶ 1:11:03or should I say at least they did until President Trump acted unilaterally this weekend to shutter the office of research and development. This is the loss of hundred of scientific experts and this will have cost to us. These are scientists who help us understand the impact the impact of POS on human health. They developed the water quality standards and testing and protocols that all 60 all 50 states now rely on.
▶ 1:11:32And they're the foremost experts on the out understanding the impacts of climate change on our air, our water, and our human health. My constituents rely heavily on this research, especially when it comes to PIOS. Every American is already experiencing the changing weather patterns of a warming planet, bringing more extreme cycles of drought and flood, the intensification of storms that put life and property at risk.
▶ 1:12:00And you've all heard me talk about the concerns I have. This is a threat to our national security, to our military. Sea level rise, thine perm frost, and severe thorns are costing us more and more every year in the defense bill. inadequately funding the EPA and blocking its address uh its ability to address climate change will harm our country's response to this threat not only today but tomorrow.
▶ 1:12:29I'm also deeply concerned and disappointed by the consequences of the deep cuts in this bill to the park service, the Smithsonian museums, the endowment for the arts and the humanities. These funds make cultural and artistic and natural as a geography, an opportunity to have a daily history lesson, a civic lesson to learn more about this great country and for all who visit it to learn more about this great democracy.
▶ 1:13:00These are investments in telling our story that support fair, free, and transparent exchange of ideas without intimidation. And that's what's vital about living in a democracy. So, Mr. Chair and to Chairman Simpson, I know we can do better and I look forward to you working with Representative Pingry to make that a possibility when this bill comes back, especially from conference committee, a bill that I can be proud to vote for.
▶ 1:13:26With that, I yield Thank the gentle lady for comments. Gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wasserman Schultz, is recognized for remarks about the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, I wish I could say I'm surprised by what's before us today. But sadly, this bill is another example of House Republicans putting billionaires, big oil, and corporate polluters ahead of America's working families, our public lands, and even our children's future.
▶ 1:13:53At a moment when families are already feeling the squeeze of rising costs of living and the devastating effects of climate change, this bill makes their lives harder, not easier. It raises utility bills. It raises gas prices. It guts the very resources that help the poor, rural, middle class, and vulnerable communities cope with environmental and economic challenges. This bill slashes more than 60% from funding that helps states deliver clean drinking water and safe wastewater systems.
▶ 1:14:24Excuse me. This bill slashes, excuse me, that $1.7 billion cut is a direct attack on the health of every single American family and it leaves local governments and rateayers to pick up the tab. This bill eliminates the Energy Star program, stripping consumers of their ability to buy energy efficient appliances to save money. It blocks fuel effic vehicle fuel efficiency rules, forcing people to pay more at the pump.
▶ 1:14:50And it even defunds renewable energy, which now makes up more than 20% of our nation's power. All but guaranteeing higher electricity bills and less energy security. Just when the climate crisis is battering every corner of this country, from Texas floods to wildfires in the West, we are kneecapping our ability to respond. This bill slashes the EPA by 25% and eliminates funding for global warming science, climate policy, and greenhouse gas reporting.
▶ 1:15:17Instead of confronting the crisis, this bill actually promotes dirty energy by mandating fossil fuel lease sales and letting mandating fossil fuel lease sales and letting the worst polluters spew toxins with impunity. This bill even includes a shameful handout to pesticide manufacturers by tying the government's hands and blocking it from updating cancer warnings on pesticides, no matter what the new science shows.
▶ 1:15:44This writer would effectively gag our public health agencies, preventing them from updating labels or rules to reflect new evidence of cancer risks from pesticides. You are telling every cancer survivor, "Even if we learn more about how these chemicals cause cancer, too bad, we're not allowed to warn you." That's not just irresponsible, it's dangerous. As a cancer survivor, I find it outrageous that we would protect corporate profits over protecting people from cancer.
▶ 1:16:11It is a serious new revolting low that the majority doesn't want to warn people about cancer risk from chemicals and pesticides. This bill is a big middle finger to cancer patients. Period. But the damage doesn't stop there. Republicans also take aim at America's crown jewels, America's national parks, our public lands, our wildlife, and our cultural treasurers.
▶ 1:16:35This bill guts the National Park Service, decimates resources for conservation agencies, and undermines protections for iconic species like grizzly bears and greywolves. It cuts funding for the Smithsonian, and slashes the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities by 35%. Apparently, no part of our heritage, not our natural wonders, not our culture, not even our history, is safe from their zeal to pad corporate profits and serve the billionaires. We are not here to auction off America's future to the highest bidder.
▶ 1:17:04We are not here to make families pay more so billionaires get richer. We are here to protect public health, preserve our environment, and safeguard our children's inheritance. At least I am and I know my colleagues on this side of the table, this side of the room are. This bill fails every part of that test and in spectacular fashion. And I urge my colle colleagues to oppose it. I yield back. Thank you. Thank you, gentle lady.
▶ 1:17:31The gentle lady from New Jersey, Miss Watson Coleman's recognized for remarks about the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to our ranking member. Thank you to Chairman Simpson and ranking member I want to uh rise in opposition to this bill. First, I want to say that I do agree with um Chairman Simpson that this bill has far-reaching implications.
▶ 1:17:58I simply believe that those implications are all very negative and harmful. And so, to that extent, I guess we disagree. This bill will raise costs for working families, lower standards for clean air and water, and devastate our public land so a few corporations can rake in the billions in profits.
▶ 1:18:19Over the past several months, some of my colleagues across the aisle have been eager to entertain certain conspiracy theories that are pedled, among others, by among others, the Secretary of Health and Human Services. They've been reluctant to push back against his efforts to remove trace amounts of fluoride from public drinking water, which study after study has shown improves dental health.
▶ 1:18:44But now they're putting forward a bill that would defund the government's effort to remove lead contamination from water pipes by raiding the drinking water and clean water state revolving funds. I'm not sure where putting more lead in the water fits into the MA agenda, but I guess we'll soon find out.
▶ 1:19:06This bill slashes the EPA budget by 23%, including $1 billion cut to crucial science and research work, even as climate change causes catastrophic storms to become more and more frequent. Sadly, severe flooding in New Jersey last week claimed the lives of two of my constituents.
▶ 1:19:29This is very serious, very immediate issue, and very personal to There's not much that we all agree on here, but one thing we can agree on is that we all want a safe and healthy planet for our children and their children and their children and their children. Defunding the EPA is not only a gift to corporate polluters, it's a theft from America's future.
▶ 1:19:55Our children and grandchildren will be left with a world where rising tides spill over the seaw walls into the streets. Where seasonal storms promise annual tragedies. And where the phrase the hottest year on record becomes so common place, it loses its meaning. And even when the weather is clear, our children and grandchildren will be denied the natural beauty of this country.
▶ 1:20:20Under this bill, public lands will be sold off for cor corporate national parks will be defunded, wildlife refugees will be understaffed, and our great forests and fisheries And what will ordinary Americans get in exchange for giving all this up? Well, higher energy bills, higher utility prices, lower fuel efficiency standards, and higher costs at the pump.
▶ 1:20:48Like so many injustices, these impacts will be felt most intensely in the communities without the resources to fight back. This bill eliminates funding for environmental justice initiatives. So when a rich plant moves into a poor town and proceeds to pollute to the CEO's content, the working families of that community, they will have no recourse.
▶ 1:21:19They will have no way to stand up for their kids or their neighbors as they're exposed to toxic chemicals in the air and in the water. For all the talk from some of my Republican colleagues about the importance of protecting the homeland, they sure seem to care very little about the condition of the actual land. America is our home. We ought to take better care of it than what's being laid out in this bill.
▶ 1:21:46I encourage my colleagues to revisit these provisions and to protect our environment and our country's future and to oppose this bill as I do. Thank you. I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from New York, Mr. Espad, is recognized for general comments on the bill. Thank you, chairman and ranking member.
▶ 1:22:11I r I I rise in strong opposition to the proposed interior environmental and related agencies bill. This bill severely defunds the EPA undermanding decades of progress in making our environment safer and more equitable for all.
▶ 1:22:29The EPA is a vital tool for addressing pollution in lowincome and minority communities, ensuring clean air, water, and safe living conditions for all Americans. Without these programs, historically vulnerable communities will face increased exposure to environmental risk leading to severe health and economic consequences. In the past administration, Mr.
▶ 1:22:56chairman, we saw how the EPA gave out community grants across the country. In fact, they went to local communities and they went to institutions in my district like Forom University and weak so that they can give grants to community-based organizations that know what environmental injustice is about and they try to address these environmental injustices across the country the the country in cities.
▶ 1:23:25We have seen uh extreme weather weather uh problems and patterns. Just this past weekend, D the DC metro area experienced uh flash floods that damaged buildings and washed away cars. We saw the same thing happen in New York in the subway system weeks ago. And of course, we all know what happened in North Carolina. We've seen the wildfires. Again, mother nature is talking to us.
▶ 1:23:52And it is at the community level that we can remediate these injustices, these environmental injustice. So EPA played a vital role in addressing that. In fact, the inflation reduction act which saw the biggest investment in environmental remediation was an international hit at the COP 27 in Egypt.
▶ 1:24:17All the other countries spoke about the investment that we made through the inflation reduction act to remediate environmental injustices. That was the big hit of the conference. That's what every continent spoke about. They were so proud of the money that was invested here in the US by the previous administration and they wanted to emulate what we were doing here across the world.
▶ 1:24:45We were the pride of the world for environmental practices to remediate injustices for communities that contribute less because poor and workingclass communities don't have an abundance of vehicles.
▶ 1:24:59They contribute less but they are hurt So eliminating the EPA will result in taking away the tools that are necessary to remediate environmental injustices that often lead to conditions like asthma rates in communities that we serve. Uh environmental injustice also leads to respiratory diseases for seniors.
▶ 1:25:30It contributes to a host of illnesses and these investments made by the EPA will now be compromised because of these severe cuts in this particular bill. So for that reason uh Mr. Chairman, I am uh to oppose this bill. It will make Americans less safe and sicker. I urge all my colleagues to oppose the bill and I yield back.
▶ 1:26:01Thank gentlemen. Gentle lady from Illinois, Miss Underwood, is recognized for general remarks on the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I rise today in strong opposition to this bill. At a time when families in northern Illinois and across the country are already struggling with high costs, House Republicans are pushing a bill that would raise utility bills, gut environmental protections, and the agencies that keep our water clean, and our air safe to breathe.
▶ 1:26:30This bill will shift the burden of environmental protection to state and local governments, forcing them to choose between raising taxes or cutting water inspections. It will make utility bills more expensive by reducing access to affordable clean power in order to line the pockets of fossil fuel executives. It prioritizes the corporations that pollute our communities over the needs of hardworking families.
▶ 1:26:57House Republicans have written a bill that benefits their corporate donors, but will make our air and water dirtier, our families sicker, and our wallets lighter. They're defunding critical environmental protection agency programs and rolling back life-saving regulations that allow scientific experts to monitor and reduce pollution, control methane emissions, and enforce landmark public health laws like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water
▶ 1:27:27Act. These protections are literally a matter of life and death for children, seniors, and millions of Americans. And by the way, they were originally enacted with strong bipartisan support in Congress. In the decades since then, we have made tremendous progress cleaning our air and water. But this bill would undo much of that work with a stroke of the pen.
▶ 1:27:51In my district, the EPA is now only beginning a long awaited cleanup of radium contaminated soil at the Super Fund site in Ottawa, Illinois. This critical project has been delayed by years of underfunding that have left my constituents exposed to dangerous radioactive materials for decades. When Congress underfunds programs like this, that is not fiscal responsibility.
▶ 1:28:18It's passing the buck and leaving our constituents to pay the price. And it's not just my constituents. Farmers in California's central valley are struggling with a historic drought. While in Iowa, they are battling severe storms and floods. In Arizona, many tribal nations lack basic water infrastructure due to chronic This bill tells these communities that their health and their future don't matter.
▶ 1:28:48This bill also slashes funding for our national parks and accelerates the exploitation of protected areas for shortterm corporate gain. It even removes key protections under the Endangered Species Act, another popular and effective law that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.
▶ 1:29:10It appears that Donald Trump and House Republicans are only interested in protecting predators like Jeffrey Epstein instead of bald eagles or grizzly bears. In addition to trashing our planet, this bill also slashes support for the arts and cultural institutions, eliminating vital grants that support education and historic preservation in communities across the country.
▶ 1:29:36These programs are economic drivers and job creators in our communities and these cuts will have a real impact. We are witnessing a coordinated effort to dismantle the foundations of environmental stewardship, cultural preservation and economic fairness. And for what? To protect corporate profits. To give polluters a free pass. to exploit and endanger communities that have fought for decades for clean water and clean air and basic dignity.
▶ 1:30:07This bill does not save taxpayers money. It sells them out. And I urge my colleagues to reject this reckless and dangerous bill. I yield back. Thanks, gentle lady. The gentleman from California, Mr. Leven, recognized for general remarks on the bill. Thank you, Mr. chairman and I thank the ranking member and I thank all the staff who worked so hard on this bill. I appreciate the time and effort that's gone into this.
▶ 1:30:35Uh regretfully I can't support the bill as written. I want to begin by saying something I think we all agree on that our job here in large part is to make life more affordable and more secure for the people we represent. Certainly what guides uh every budget decision that I make and that's where I do have serious concerns about this bill. I think we would all agree families are already feeling squeezed between rising energy bills, water bills, and housing costs. They need relief, not more pressure.
▶ 1:31:05But this bill would shift more of the burden onto working Americans rather than helping to ease it. As has been said, it cuts over $660 million from clean water and drinking water programs, funds that cities and towns rely on to replace lead pipes, to modernize old systems, and to protect water supplies. Here's what's important. When that funding disappears, local governments don't just absorb that cost. They raise rates. They raise rates.
▶ 1:31:35And that hits families and small businesses and rural communities especially hard. The bill also blocks common sense fuel efficiency standards. And whatever you drive, I think everybody wants more miles per gallon. Rolling back efficiency certainly doesn't lower gas prices. It makes people fill up more often and spend more at the pump. And of course, it cuts the Environmental Protection Agency by over 20%. That shrinks our ability to respond to real problems.
▶ 1:32:05PAS contamination, hazardous waste sites, air and water pollution. These aren't abstract issues. They're showing up in our districts and they impact real people. Now, let's not forget why the EPA was created. and I quote, "Restoring nature to its natural state is a cause beyond party and beyond factions. It has become a common cause of all the people of this country. Clean air, clean water, open spaces.
▶ 1:32:32These should once again be the birthright of every American. President Richard Nixon, January 22nd, 1970 in his State of the Union. I'd like to think that we would all respect the words of President Nixon as the EPA was being created. Now, let me speak directly about energy. So, I understand and respect the important role that oil and gas play in our economy, including in my home state of California. These are industries that employ hundreds of thousands of people and help fuel our nation.
▶ 1:33:01But this bill goes beyond support for fossil fuels. It actively makes it harder to build the clean energy projects that are now the cheapest forms of new electricity in the United States. Wind and solar, as I've said before, are cost competitive. They're increasingly reliable and they're creating jobs in every corner of the country. So why underfund the very offices that help permit those projects? Why limit consumer choice and slow the expansion of the most affordable power sources on the market?
▶ 1:33:31This doesn't have to be an eitheror conversation. We can support our existing industries while also investing in the technologies that will keep energy affordable, secure, and competitive in the years and decades ahead. And if we don't, China and other countries will continue to dramatically outpace us in clean energy manufacturing and deployment, undermining our economic leadership and energy independence in the long run. I'm also concerned about what this bill means for our public lands.
▶ 1:33:59The National Park Service is already stretch stretched thin with staff shortages and billions in deferred maintenance. Cutting their funding even further means campgrounds closed, restrooms shut down, and fewer rangers on the ground. that affects families, veterans, outdoor businesses, and the local economy that relies on tourism and recreation in so many parts of the country. At the end of the day, I just don't believe this bill reflects the values that we share.
▶ 1:34:25Affordability, fairness, competition, and responsible stewardship. We can and should work together to reduce costs for families, to modernize our infrastructure, and to ensure we have a balanced energy strategy that keeps us strong and globally competitive in the decades ahead. So, I hope we can make the improvements necessary to get there, and I hope we can do it together. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I'll yield back. Thank gentlemen.
▶ 1:34:54Gentle lady from Pennsylvania, Miss Dean's recognized for general comments on the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I thank the chairman and the ranking member of this committee. Uh, unfortunately, I rise in opposition to the Interior Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill of 2026. Uh, I associate myself with the remarks of my Democratic colleagues.
▶ 1:35:20This bill fails to deliver on lowering the costs of living for everyday Americans and confronting the existential threat that is the climate crisis. I want to take a moment to talk about how this bill harms my constituents and my home state of Pennsylvania. I was an appropriator uh when I was in the Pennsylvania House. It was part of what drove me to want to serve with all of you here.
▶ 1:35:41Uh and my favorite uh constitutional uh amendment in the Pennsylvania Constitution, Article 1, Section 27 reads, "The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, and historic aesthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all people, including generations yet to come." I took that right very, very seriously.
▶ 1:36:09I believe that meant we were trustees uh of that set of rights and this bill is not compatible with the rights articulated uh for all Pennians that I aspire to. Let's talk about clean air. EPA is tasked with implementing the Clean Air Act. The bill today before us cuts EPA funding by 23%. It also includes harmful policy writers like prohibiting the regulation of methane emissions under the Clean Air Act.
▶ 1:36:39Pennsylvania's Pennsylvania's Bureau of Air Quality within the Department of Environmental Protection is responsible for safeguarding the health of Pennians by achieving the goals of the Federal Clean Air Act and the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act.
▶ 1:36:54The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection relies heavily on federal investments, including funds authorized by the Historic Inflation Reduction Act, including many grants that are being targeted for elimination by this administration and by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Let's talk about Pure Water. This bill cuts funding to states through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds by $1.7 billion.
▶ 1:37:22This means for my state a funding cut of $23 million. These funds are critical for the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, which is called Penvest, which serves our communities through capital funding for drinking water, wastewater, storm water, nonpoint source pollution prevention, and other related projects. Cutting these funds means higher costs for Pennians to access clean water.
▶ 1:37:49And this bill would prevent us from addressing the risks of PAS contaminated sewage sludge used in farming. This is so short-sighted. My district has been directly harmed by POS contamination of our groundwater. Something I will talk about uh in uh connection with some of the amendments. And finally, let's talk about the preservation of the natural, scenic, and historic historic aesthetic values of the environment.
▶ 1:38:16This bill cuts funding for preservation left and right. It takes away important protections on public lands, undermining conservation efforts. This bill cuts funding for the National Park Service by $213 million. In my district, we are fortunate to be home to the wonderful Valley Forge National Historic Park. It is America's park.
▶ 1:38:39We are so proud of Valley Forge, not only for its historic value, but also its incredible recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike. It is America's park, but it also delivers an estimated $45 million annually to the local economy thanks to tourism.
▶ 1:38:58I have to tell you in terms of the history of it, did you know that the troops at Valley Forge on those cold December nights read Thomas Payne's 49page pamphlet, Common Sense? It was read to them or they read it by the campfire to galvanize and to bolster the Army's purpose on those bold on those cold, bitter winter nights.
▶ 1:39:22We too should go back and take a look at common sense and let it galvanize and bolster our belief that we should protect uh uh the folks in our districts along the lines of this interior bill. With that, I yield back. Thank you, gentle lady. Gentle lady from Nevada, Miss Lee's recognized for remarks on the bill. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um I rise today in opposition of this legislation.
▶ 1:39:50unfortunately is the latest in a long line of bills from the Republican majority that fails to provide adequate resources to the people and agencies charged with taking care of public lands and our natural treasures while absolutely gutting funding for critical drinking and wastewater infrastructure projects.
▶ 1:40:11As a Neadan, I'm particularly disappointed to see that this bill once again grossly underfunds the bipartisan abandoned hard rock mine reclamation program. Abandoned hard rock mines are scattered all across the American West, including in my home district, which is home to some of Nevada's oldest mines. Even in the east, in states like Alabama, these mines are sending mercury, arsenic, and lead, and other toxic metals into our waters.
▶ 1:40:42And the scarred landscapes themselves are often public safety hazards. Nevada officials estimate that the total cost of environmental and physical remediation of abandoned hard rock mine sites in my state alone exceeds $3 billion. That's with a B.
▶ 1:41:01But this bill is set to fund just.1% of that amount, an absurdly anemic $3 It's long past time that Congress treat this problem with the seriousness it deserves and provide resources necessary to put our states on a path to cleaner water and safer landscapes. I'm also disappointed to see how this bill continues to shortch change our national parks and public lands.
▶ 1:41:29We are asking more of our park rangers than ever before. And instead of keeping pace, this bill leaves them with a $214 million cut. The Bureau of Land Management, which manages nearly 70% of Nevada's lands, is getting similarly squeezed with tens of millions of dollars being stripped away from the Bureau's renewable energy management program, which will worsen permitting bottlenecks for solar and other clean energy projects and BNL lands,
▶ 1:41:59and a $100 million reduction to its primary management of lands and resources account, which all but guarantees bigger BLM back backlog for everybody, including our Southern Nevada homebuilders. These cuts come at a time when DOI's agencies are already understaffed and overs subscribed.
▶ 1:42:22They also come in the immediate wake of the reconciliation project in which some congressional Republicans actively tried to sell off public lands in districts and states that uh far from their own without the consent or any meaningful collaboration with their colleagues in these communities.
▶ 1:42:42This barely scratches the surface of the numerous and other provisions in this me measures will which will make the cost of living crisis worse including striking hardworking middle class and vulnerable Americans with the bill for water infrastructure projects to the tune of $1.7 billion thanks to a 62% cut. I will say, Mr.
▶ 1:43:06chairman, that one thing this legislation does get right is making it absolutely clear that the proceeds from federal land sales in southern Nevada are are to remain in Nevada as they have for decades because of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, which even the Trump bud uh President Trump's interior secretary Bergam recently praised as a great model for land stewardship.
▶ 1:43:32That said, I hope we can make some further improvements during this markup and I urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill. Thank you, gentle lady. Gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Murvan is recognized for comments on the bill. Thank you, Chairman Cole. Ranking member Deloro, uh, Chairman Subcommittee Simpson, and Ranking Member Pangri, uh, for the opportunity to speak on today's bill.
▶ 1:43:57the interior environmental and is critical for providing resources to keep our air and water clean, preserve our national parks, and address a growing climate crisis. I am grateful for the inclusion of robust funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which supports projects that improve the quality of life for communities along the Great Lakes. However, I must join my colleagues in opposing this bill.
▶ 1:44:19The bill contains a number of cuts and writers that will gut resources for our public lands, hamper efforts to curb pollution, and damage the legacy we leave for future generations. I stand as a fighter for the Indiana Dunes National Park and clean air and clean water. The Dune represents more than just nature. They are living proof that beauty, resilience, and industry can coexist.
▶ 1:44:42In northwest Indiana, where sands meet steel, the dunes offer worldclass burning, youth education, and nurturing power of nature and and to bring peace and quiet to urban communities, we must protect this legacy for future generations. Over the last 6 months, indiscriminate staffing cuts and unpredictable funding pipelines have sent many of our national parks, including the Indiana Dunes, into a state of uncertainty.
▶ 1:45:08And these decisions have come at the cost of seasoned staff who may never return. In one of these early rounds of staffing cuts, I heard from an employee at the Dunes who was let go. She was an urban planner helping to implement long-term infrastructure projects. She was an expert in her field, took great pride in her work and giving back to the community. That she had lived and worked for 17 years. Losing her along with other talented staff across the park service will have a ripple effect for years to come.
▶ 1:45:37The 213 million cut to the National Park Service included in this bill, compounded by recisions included in the recently passed reconciliation measure, will only make this problem worse. My predecessor, who served on this committee for decades, fought hard for the to get this national park designation for the dunes because he understood the parks improve the quality of life and serve as economic engine for the surrounding communities. I hope my colleagues can work in a bipartisan manner to protect these resources.
▶ 1:46:05I am also concerned about the deep water infrastructure the bill underfunds and clean water drinking water state revolving funds by 662 million in the fiscal year 2012 levels. This means fewer dollars to deliver safe drinking water, remove lead pipes, and protect public health. These cuts are also happening in the context of staffing changes to create challenges in implementation important programs.
▶ 1:46:29One of my constituents who works out of the EPA Chicago office is helping communities improve their water infrastructure reached out with concerns over toxic work environment at the agency. Reducing federal contributions to this critical critical infrastructure and dismantling the agency charged with implementation will also require state and local governments to cut other services to fill the gaps.
▶ 1:46:52Finally, I am concerned about the policy writers that reduce protections that mitigate air water pollution and will make it more difficult to hold private stakeholders accountable for cleanup of legacy pollution sites given the long history of industrial manufacturing in Northwest Indiana, meaning a maintaining a strong federal partner in cleanup and remediation of legacy pollution is critical for the health and safety of my constituents.
▶ 1:47:18The entire the Interior and Environmental Appropriations Bill presents opportunity to better our communities through investments in our public lands, our water infrastructure, and the long-term health of our communities and natural resources. I urge my colleagues to oppose the bill in front of us and recommmit to working in a bipartisan manner and leave the better future for our children. I yield back. Thank the gentlemen. The chair now recognizes the distinguished dean of the house and chairman ofmer this committee for an announcement.
▶ 1:47:51I thank the chairman for the Uh one of the great centers of power on this committee uh is the flower fund. U and today we're celebrating the the sixth decade that Robert Adhold has been with us to celebrate the the use of the
▶ 1:48:21flower font. So would you join me as we wish Robert Erid Holt happy birthday on his sixth decade with us. We uh your birthday song. It doesn't last too thank you. Thanks everybody. Thanks Hal.
▶ 1:48:50And may you live as long as the opening comments at our our hearings. It's a great great to have you. Thank you so much. Yes. And gentle lady's recognized. I would just point out that well that gives you something to shoot for. So Mr. Clurn, congratulations to you as well, my friend. Well, come along. I won't wait for you. Thank you very much.
▶ 1:49:22I'm sorry. Well, do you guys know the Banner birthday song? It's so much quicker. But if you want to do a traditional happy Okay. Yeah. All right. This is your birthday song. It doesn't last too long. I told Boehner once that was the only thing that he would really leave behind him that would last. Not fair on my part. Um, okay.
▶ 1:49:52Are there any other members wishing to make general comments about the bill? Seeing none. Okay. Um I now recognize the uh distinguished chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Simpson, for the purposes of amendment. Mr. Chairman, I have a Republican on Blanc at the desk and I ask unanimous consent. The reading be dispensed with.
▶ 1:50:19Without objection, uh reading is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized to explain his amendment. This onblanc amendment includes several common sense changes that reinforce the goals and priorities of the bill and of this administration. Provisions included in this amendment would ensure compliance with President Trump's executive order on expanding American timber production. Reiterate that the administration can continue its work to address and responsibly mitigate against PAS.
▶ 1:50:48uh ensure that regulations are based in reality and are practical and clarify a position a provision in the underlying bill related to labeling any pesticide which has been mentioned several times uh by members of the other side of the aisle and I have to say falsely represented not different interpretations but false gentle lady from Florida made
▶ 1:51:18some comments that frankly I got to tell you are just not true about what this amendment does. So, let me take a minute to clarify this. And for all the MAG or uh the uh maja moms that are out there that are concerned about this, that have been calling, let me clarify what this what this provision does. This is the third year in a row that we've carried this exact language in the Interior bill.
▶ 1:51:45The purpose of the language is to clarify existing law. The states cannot require a pesticide label that is different from the EPA's label. The language ensures that we do not have a patchwork of state labeling requirements. It ensures that one state is not establishing the label for the rest of the states. It's the EPA that does that.
▶ 1:52:10This actually happened in 2017 when California, imagine that, California attempted to set its own labeling requirements for a pesticide. The current statute already has a federal preeemption for labeling requirements. This language simply reiterates it. The language does not make any statement about the contents or findings by the EPA of human health assessment.
▶ 1:52:40It does not prevent the EPA from reviewing pesticides or re-reing It does not alter the state's ability to regulate the sales or use of pesticides in their own states. This Republican onblanc explains these things because it is important to know exactly what this amendment does and what it does not do and there has been misinformation about this being spread all over.
▶ 1:53:10So I hope this clarifies it. If you want one state, and that would be the most restrictive state, and I suspect that might be California, to create a label that's different from the EPA requirement, and then that state, a chem, a company that sells pesticides all across the country, would eventually have to adopt whatever California did and not the EPA.
▶ 1:53:36So essentially, you're taking the EPA's requirements and saying, "Okay, states can do their own thing on this because they're going to they're not going to require a labeling that's different for all 50 states." That would be That's why there is a state preeemption on this. That's all this does. It has been in this bill for the last three years. So, I hope it clarifies it and I would hope that we would support this this onblock amendment. And I yield Thank the gentleman.
▶ 1:54:07Gentle lady from Maine, Miss Pingridge, recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, I want to discuss a different provision in this unblock amendment which I was surprised to find in this particular unblock amendment which I will be opposing.
▶ 1:54:30So, uh, the Republicans snuck in, I think, something that's slightly divisive, which is renaming one section of the Kennedy Center after a family member of this administration. So, let me just talk a little bit about what changes have taken place at the Kennedy Center. Uh, this has always been covered under this particular committee. They get an appropriation every year that covers many of the important improvements and capital expenses that need to happen there.
▶ 1:54:58But this year there was quite a big change that occurred. Uh may you may have heard that President Trump decided to fire the president, the chairman and all of the Biden boil board members and installed other people who he chose would be in his mind better people to be on the board of the Kennedy Center. Now the board is entirely made up of appointees that come from the president with no diversity between different presidents appointments. and he made himself the chair.
▶ 1:55:26In the big reconciliation bill that we just did, the big ugly bill as we often refer to it, um the Republicans gave President Trump a quarter of a million dollars, six times what is normally appropriated in our interior bill uh to do the things that he's interested in doing at the Kennedy Center. Now, just remember that is the same bill where we had to cut SNAP and Medicaid. we gave him over $250 million. Um, the Kennedy Center is currently unauthorized.
▶ 1:55:57That authorization expired last year. So that means that any existing limitations at the Kennedy Center are currently not in effect. There is also no authorization with the appropriate policy committees to allow for a renaming of any portion of the Kennedy Center. Um either the one they've already chosen to put into this bill or any that may happen in the future.
▶ 1:56:20And other ideas that have been forwarded such as a marina for yachts, one of the board members suggested are currently there are no ways to limit those particular options. So unlike what I think would have happened under other times, the Republicans have now given the president six times the normal amount of money to run the Kennedy Center. Cart blanch over who will be on the board and how different parts of the Kennedy Center or perhaps the whole Kennedy Center itself will be named.
▶ 1:56:50Um and this amendment confirms that. So, I think it goes without saying that it is something that I totally oppose and I believe that many of my colleagues would oppose it and I think it's hard to justify when you go back into your district that we are giving them $256.7 million with very little oversight uh no authorization, no authorization for changing the name and a lot of authority over how that money will be spent.
▶ 1:57:18Later on in this bill, we will be talking about arts funding. We'll be talking about cuts to the NEA and NEH cuts that were made um back to your specific communities um to artists and schools and uh community arts projects. Uh and my understanding now is that this administration would like to have control over what is arts and culture in our country, how funding will be spent. Um and as long as it's funding that they would like to spend, in this case on the Kennedy Center, uh it could be any amount.
▶ 1:57:47It could be greater than ever spent before. But if it's going back to our local communities as it is at the NEA and NEH uh will it will be cut. In fact, when we received this budget from them, NEA and NEH were completely zeroed out. So, uh for this reason and others, I oppose this unblock amendment and I encourage my uh colleagues to do the Yield back. Thank gentle lady.
▶ 1:58:10Or do other members seek recognition to speak to the onblock Uh, gentleman from West Virginia is Um, sorry, I thought this was the this isn't the managers. This is the onb block. Okay, apologize. This is the onb block. Do any other members wish to address uh the onblock amendment?
▶ 1:58:40Seeing none, I recognize Chairman Simpson for one minute to close. I thank the chairman and let me see if I got this straight. So, we're upset that we didn't fund the arts, but we're upset that we did fund the arts. So, I can't figure out which one it is, but I will tell you, yes, we renamed the opera house at the uh Kennedy Center for the first lady, who is the honorary chairman of the board of trustees of the Kennedy Senator.
▶ 1:59:08this designation an excellent way to recognize her support and commitment to promoting the arts and I would encourage members to vote for this Republican onblanc amendment and I yield back. Thank the gentleman. The questions on the amendment from the gentleman from Wyoming. All those in favor say Wyoming, excuse me. Close. One of those big states. Yeah, Idaho. Idaho. I don't know what I was thinking. Um, all those in favor say I. I. All those post say no.
▶ 1:59:39The opinion of the chair. The eyes have it. Roll call has been requested. Please show a hand. Sufficient number of hands having been raised. The clerk call the role. Mr. Adhalt. Mr. Aguilar. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. I. Mr. Ammeday. Mrs. Bice. Mrs. Bice. I Mr. Bishop. Mr. Bishop. No. Mr. Calbertt.
▶ 2:00:10Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. I Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. No. Mr. Ciscomani. Mr. Klene. Mr. Klene. I Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud. I Mr. Klyurn. Mr. Klyurn. No. Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. I Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole. I Mr.
▶ 2:00:36Quaar Miss Dean Miss Dean No Mr. Lauro Mr. Loro No Mr. Diaz Balard Mr. Diaz Bard I Mr. Edwards Mr. Edwards I Mr. Elzie Mr. Ellie I miss Mr. Espayat Mr. Espayot no Mr. Fleshman Mr. Fleshman I miss Frankle Miss Frankle no Mr. Franklin Mr.
▶ 2:01:06Franklin I Mr. Gonzalez Mr. Guest Mr. Guest I Mr. Harter Mr. Harter no Dr. Harris Dr. Harris I Mrs. Henson Mrs. Henson I Mr. Hoyer Mr. Ivy Mr. Rejoice. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. No.
▶ 2:01:37Mr. Loa. Miss Lee. Miss Lee. No. Miss Llo. Miss Llo. I Mr. Leven. Mr. Levven. No. Miss Mallaloy. Miss Mallaloy. I. Miss. McCullum. Miss. McCullum. No. Miss Ming. Miss Ming. No. Mr. Molinari Mr. Molinar I Mr. Moore Mr. Moore I Mr.
▶ 2:02:05Morelli Mr. Morvan Mr. New House Mr. New House I miss Perez Miss Perez I Miss Pingri Miss Pingri no Mr. Pokean Mr. Pokean no Mr. Quigley Mrigley no Mr. Rashenthaler Mr. Rogers Mr. Rogers I Mr.
▶ 2:02:35Rutherford Mr. Rutherford I Mr. Simpson Mr. Simpson I Mr. Strong Mr. Strong I Mrs. Torres Mrs. Torres no Miss Underwood Miss Underwood no Mr. Valido Mr. Valido I Miss Wasserman Schultz Miss Wasserman Schultz no Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. No. Mr. Wac. Mr. Wac I. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci.
▶ 2:03:05Are there any members wishing to vote or change their vote? Gentleman from Mr. Amade. I gentleman from Alabama. Mr. Adhalt. I gentleman from Texas. Mr. Gonzalez. I gentleman from California Gentleman from California Mr.
▶ 2:03:30Aguilar No gentle lady from Texas Miss Escobar no gentleman from New York I do not believe the gentleman is Mr. Morelli no gentleman from Maryland Mr. Ivy no gentleman other gentleman from Maryland Mr. Hoyer. No. Uh, gentleman from Ohio. I do not believe the gentleman is Mr.
▶ 2:04:00Joyce, I Are there other members wishing to change or record their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally. In the meantime, I think this is probably well known, but courtesy of Mr. Simpson, lunch is here. Carmine's across the hall. So, please come and go as you as you will.
▶ 2:04:29Uh, you'd have to address that. I'm I'm up here with you. Nobody I've noticed nobody brought either of us plates yet. On this vote, the eyes are 33, the nose are 25. The amendment is adopted.
▶ 2:05:01Now recognize the gentle lady from Connecticut, Mr. Laurel, for the purpose of an amendment. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk and ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. I'm proud to submit this amendment which would restore funding for the state revolving funds to the fiscal year 2025 enacted level. The American people are demanding help with the cost of living.
▶ 2:05:31That is what we should be focusing on on this committee. But instead, the majority has chosen to cut the funding that literally helps our communities maintain safe, clean drinking water. All our states rely on the revolving funds to help finance water infrastructure projects, which are often time and capital uh intensive. Yet, the bill before us eviscerates this funding to the states by nearly $2 billion or 62%.
▶ 2:06:01This near complete withdrawal of federal support for water infrastructure means that local governments already struggling for cash due to President Trump's illegal freezes of so many grants and loan programs will have to bear the brunt of financing expensive water safety and treatment product projects. Clean water should be available for all Americans and the state revolving funds help achieve that mission.
▶ 2:06:25Yet the majorities bill is cutting these funds so deeply and so recklessly that even their own communities will be deeply harmed. In Oklahoma, there will be a $10 million cut from nearly $16 million down to barely 6 million. In Idaho, we'll receive a $7 million cut from nearly 11 million down to $4 million. This will devastate the ability of state and local governments to finance needed projects.
▶ 2:06:55As Jeff Walker, former executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board, said, and I quote, "More than half of Clean Water Srf, State Revolving Funds, subsidized loans, 55%, are provided to communities with populations of less than 3500, many of whom can't qualify or will pay higher interest rates in the municipal bond and private lending markets.
▶ 2:07:17Without financing from the clean water SRFS, these communities are more likely to experience unreliable household wastewater services and poor water quality, which can result in exposure to deadly and debilitating waterbornne diseases that are preventable. End quote.
▶ 2:07:35The EPA currently estimates that our nation's drinking water and wastewater systems will face over $1.2 2 trillion dollars in capital improvements needs over the next 20 years just to maintain current levels of service and safety. Without federal support, these costs get passed on to the American people either through utility bills, property or sales taxes, or cuts to other local government services. Americans voted to lower the cost of living, not to spike their water and tax bills.
▶ 2:08:05Yet, that is exactly what the majority is forcing on our communities. This is something we should all be able to agree on. Water, food, and shelter, our bare necessities. Every single person here knows the importance of safe drinking water. Every person here should be demanding action if something went wrong with our community's water supply. Failing septic systems and in inadequate wastewater treatment are a matter of life and death.
▶ 2:08:29They can lead to the contamination of drinking water sources with pathogens like E.coli and other microorganisms causing waterbornne diseases. That is what the drinking water state revolving fund is for. It is for places like Stockton, Pennsylvania, which had the state's worst water quality until it received funding to install a new water distribution line and prevent contamination of giarda, bacteria, and iron in its old system.
▶ 2:08:54It is for preventing tragedies like the one in Flint, Michigan, where the city tried to update its water system, but corroded pipes from the new drinking water source exposed nearly 9,000 children to lead contamination for 18 months.
▶ 2:09:07and is for protecting places like Lake Washington Ship Canal, Salmon Bay, Lake Union in Seattle, which received $165.3 million in lowinterest loans to help prevent as much as 75 million gallons annually of polluted storm water carrying toxins such as motor oil, metals, and pesticides directly into these crucial waterways. I know many of us are also focused on securing funding for our districts through community projects.
▶ 2:09:35These things should not be in competition with each other. CPF funding is not the same as the state revolving funds. It should not come at the expense of the state revolving funds. When Democrats control the House, we were able to produce bills that did both. That did not ask our constituents to choose between clean water and community projects. The American people are expecting us to deliver both. Once again, safe drinking water should not be a partisan issue. This should be the bare minimum.
▶ 2:10:05We do not have to stage this trade-off between community projects and water projects. This is a choice just like the majority's choice to add $3.4 trillion to the deficit to finance tax breaks for the billionaires and biggest corporations. I'm proud to propose this amendment. Urge my colleagues to support it as well. Thank you and I yield back. Thank gentle lady. The gentleman from Idaho, Mr. Simpsons, recognized respond to the amendment. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. and I rise in opposition to the amendment.
▶ 2:10:35Uh the amount provided to the states in this bill is the same amount provided to the states in FY25 House bill when accounting for community project funding amounts. The SRFs also received an additional supplemental funding through the infrastructure bill. In FY26 alone, they will each receive 2.6 billion in supplemental funding.
▶ 2:10:57Over the five years of the infrastructure bill, the SRFs have will have received 11.7 billion in supplemental funding. But the main reason I oppose this is because without an offset, this amendment causes the bill to exceed our committee approved 302B. So I would oppose this amendment and hope my colleagues would would oppose it also. gentlemen.
▶ 2:11:20Gentle lady from Maine, Miss Pengri is recognized to address the Thank you very much for yielding the time. As you've heard, this bill cuts uh this amendment would restore the funding for clean water and clean drinking water and state revolving funds uh because they are already cut by more than 60% compared to FY25.
▶ 2:11:46Um, as we've already heard in some of the opening remarks and from the ranking member Deloro, uh, almost every one of our states and communities is looking for funding to help deliver safe drinking water, wastewater treatment, and storm water management. This is a need that spans all of our states and all of our c communities. And with extreme weather or aging infrastructure, the need is greater than ever.
▶ 2:12:11Reducing this funding to the states threatens the viability of our water infrastructure projects, forcing states to either delay these critical upgrades or shift the costs to rate pairs. This would reduce vital opportunities to have clean drinking water, to have wastewater systems that are high functioning, and making sure that our constituents are not being exposed to contaminants like PAS and lead.
▶ 2:12:38Our state environmental agencies are already underfunded and struggling to bear the costs of permitting which is vitally needed for economic development. The idea that we're going to make a cut in this bill and this is where we would go 60% compared to what we did in FY25 is somewhat unthinkable to me. This is a need that's not going to go away. This is not a partisan need. This is something that we all recognize is critically important.
▶ 2:13:08And for most of us, our states or local communities don't have the ready funds to do this necessary work. So when we withdraw these federal funds, we're going to put a burden either on our states or our communities in places that they have no ability to do. And because of what we've already done in the big ugly bill and the tax benefits we've given to billionaires and the cuts we're already planning to make in Medicaid and SNAP benefits, our states will be already strained. And this is yet one more cost we're going to be asking them to bear.
▶ 2:13:36And if our states can't bear the cost, then it's our local communities and our local rateayers who will have to bear the cost. So all we are doing here is not saying uh this is not a need. This is not something that Congress has to deal with. We're just saying let's ignore this and let somebody else pay for it. But this is a vital service. This is clean water. This is making sure people are free from toxics in their environment. This is making sure our communities are clean and healthy. I oppose this cut. I support this amendment and I encourage my colleagues to support it as well.
▶ 2:14:06I yield back. Thank gentle lady. Gentle lady from Ohio, Miss Captor recognized to address the amendment. Uh thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I ran is in strong support of my friend, ranking member Deloro's uh amendment and uh to increase funding for water infrastructure in our country. Under the majorities uh bill, Ohio would receive $71 million less than last year.
▶ 2:14:35That is a 62% cut. A 62% cut for water infrastructure in Ohio. I'm privileged to have included a community project in this bill for the city of Defiance in my district. It is one of many many communities that need water infrastructure uh and but can't find the funding to make necessary upgrades and keep services affordable for the people that live there.
▶ 2:15:02Projects like this one should supplement rather than compete with the state revolving fund. Everybody knows the state revolving funds don't have enough money in them. Uh at a time when prices are rising everywhere and state revolving funds are short in dollars to meet the rising needs. America's infrastructure is aging, folks, and we should be exploring ways to invest more heavily in places like Defiance.
▶ 2:15:26The majority's cuts to water infrastructure funding will fall hardest on communities like those uh in areas of northern Ohio that I represent, many of which are small, rural, and lowincome. They don't have much resource much recourse to find outside funding. As I said in my opening statement, the water bills for consumers are going up 37% for drinking water, 67% for wastewater since 2008.
▶ 2:15:55So now is absolutely not the time for cuts. I don't know where Mr. Vote lives or exists. But if he doesn't see this, he's quite shortsighted. The reduction that the majority is proposing will increase the public health risks, slow economic growth, and undermine the infrastructure progress that we've made thus far at a time when resilience is critical to face increases in natural disasters that are happening.
▶ 2:16:21Several cities in our district have acred serious water infrastructure debts as they have struggled to meet EPA's mandates for clean water. And those mandates are important. Slowly, Lake Erie, which we depend on for life, is becoming cleaner barely because of what we've been able to do to date. But they've come at great cost. We owe it to our cities to help them meet these obligations.
▶ 2:16:47Uh the debt of our communities has led to increased prices for families that hinder their ability to invest in economic growth. Federal funds should help lift this burden so that instead local communities can focus their efforts on building new housing and developing new commercial areas instead of just paying off environmental debt. I urge my colleagues to support this life sustaining amendment. Keep America's drinking water safe, reliable, and affordable. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 2:17:17I yield back. Thank gentle lady. Gentle lady from Florida, Miss Washerman Schultz, recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the amendment offered by ranking member Deloro to restore critical funding to the EPA's state revolving funds for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
▶ 2:17:44This bill, as written, slashes the SRFs by a staggering $1.7 billion, a 62% cut from last year's level. That is unconscionable. Clean water is not a luxury. It is a necessity. And ensuring affordable, safe water is one of our most basic responsibilities. These programs are the backbone of a successful federal, state, local partnership.
▶ 2:18:07They help communities all over the country finance essential projects by removing lead pipes, upgrading failing sewage systems, separating combined sewers, and keeping drinking water safe. Cutting them at this scale doesn't just leave local governments holding the bag. It leaves every rateayer and every family paying more, and it risks their health. And this isn't hypothetical. These needs are real. and they are in the districts of members on this committee, both Republican and Democratic.
▶ 2:18:35Cities like All Benny, Georgia, have struggled to find federal dollars to separate its combined sewer system. All Benny has already spent more than hund00 million into separating its combined sewer system, but they need more help. And yes, Mr. Bishop, I know you know I know how to pronounce All Benny. And now, House Republicans are slashing funding for clean water projects by 62%. Leaving cities like Albenni to either raise rates on their residents or fall even further behind.
▶ 2:19:04Working families across the country didn't create this crisis, but Republicans are asking them to pay for it while billionaires and polluters get a free pass. Chairman Walmck, I have tremendous respect for you. You represent the city of Fort Smith in Arkansas's third congressional district. Fort Smith agreed to spend more than $200 million over 12 years to upgrade its sewer collection and treatment. The original decree deadline is set for 2027, but the city is currently seeking a formal exp extension to 2036.
▶ 2:19:33Sewer rates jumped by 176% between 2015 and 2017 in Fort Smith to pay for this work. And that's when we were fully funding these revolving funds. Where will Fort Smith come up with these dollars to make these necessary fixes when we cut the only federal funds available to them? The only answer is raising utility rates. In Virginia's sixth district, Mr. Klein, Ronoke, and Salman are rebuilding old sewer infrastructure under federal consent orders.
▶ 2:20:00The cities need to repair cracked pipes, remove storm water infiltration, and stop raw sewage from spilling into our rivers. These are precisely the projects SRFs are built to fund. Cutting SRF funding leaves these cities with only two cruel choices. Crush local rate payers with rate increases or delay critical work and violate federal standards. The EPA estimates we face over $1.2 trillion in drinking water and wastewater needs in the next two decades.
▶ 2:20:28But this bill guts the very resources communities need to meet that challenge. And beyond protecting public health and the environment, investing in water infrastructure also creates jobs. nearly 16 good paying American jobs for every $1 million invested with ripple effects throughout the economy. We should do more, not less, to ensure every community has clean water, reliable infrastructure, and affordable utility rates.
▶ 2:20:53We should be focusing on making life more affordable, not more expensive for the people that we represent. And we should stand with our colleagues, constituents in Arkansas, Georgia, Virginia, and across America who are depending on us to get this right. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and protect our communities, economy, and our water. And I yield back. Thank you very much. Thank Lady. Gentleman from Y is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
▶ 2:21:21I rise in very strong support of the ranking members amendment. And let's be very clear, crystal clear, the majority's proposed reduction of $1.7 billion dollar from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund is a direct attack on two of our nation's absolute bedrock public health laws.
▶ 2:21:46the Federal Water Pollution Control Act or the Clean Water Act of 1972, which was passed overwhelmingly on a bipartisan basis, vetoed by President Nixon, and overridden on a bipartisan basis by this Congress, a great demonstration of Congress's performance of his actual constitutional duties. and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 passed by overwhelming bipartisan majorities and signed by a Republican president, President Ford.
▶ 2:22:16These critical laws address the lack then of one of the most critical necessities of life, clean and safe drinking water. Now, we tend to take this for granted today because these laws have been in place for over a half century. But back then, our public water drinking systems were anything but safe. There were cancer-causing chemicals in the water of New Orleans and Pittsburgh. There was lead contamination in Boston water pipes.
▶ 2:22:44There was viral and bacteriological contamination in smaller, more rural communities. And these cornerstone laws set basic nationwide standards for safe drinking water quality and oversaw public water systems to protect public health. And they gave state and county governments and other water systems the tools of compliance because you can't just establish the rules and then fail to give people the tools of compliance.
▶ 2:23:14The tools of compliance were these revolving funds which allowed capitalization grants to states to establish loan programs to finance drinking water improvement projects to comply. Absent these revolving funds, states and counties, especially smaller rural water systems, would simply not have the means to comply and deliver safe, clean drinking water. Now, these are not idle risks.
▶ 2:23:39My colleagues have already talked about the actual risks to cla clean and safe drinking water in many of the communities of our of our colleagues uh in the room here. But in my own state of Hawaii, for example, we have seen major risks to our safe and clean drinking water. We had a major crisis at Red Hill where the Navy's water uh the Navy's fuel tanks leaked into the primary aquifer for the city of Honolulu servicing hundreds of thousands of my constituents.
▶ 2:24:10Now this commun this this committee has been very generous and very responsible in assisting with the recovery from Red Hill. But the needs of assuring the aquifers and the water supply of the city of Honolulu are not going to stop with Red Hill. They will last beyond uh this particular uh crisis. We have in Hawaii 38 priority drinking water projects all funded or to be funded by these revolving funds.
▶ 2:24:37And the biggest problem with our clean and safe drinking water looms in front of us and that is the crisis of PAS which is coming at us fast and furious and for which we must prepare today including strengthening these funds. So with all of this half century plus success with proven need why why slash these funds today? Why slash them by $1.7 billion? Well, I I listened to some of the explanations by the chair.
▶ 2:25:08Um, one possible explanation is that the states should actually step up. And by the way, the states means the rateayers, the consumers. They should step up and pay this. The the federal government should not have to shoulder these burdens anymore. Somehow this should be the responsibility of the states and the counties. that amounts to an unfunded federal mandate that is unfair to establish these rules which are good rules and then fail to provide the means of compliance.
▶ 2:25:36The chair says well the real reason here is that there is no offset for this uh res restoration of 1.7 billion. You know what? I don't accept that for one second. It is you by reducing the overall allocation to this bill, the majority that have created this problem. I don't accept the responsibility of trying to comply with a reduction of 6% in our national environmental programs.
▶ 2:26:06And finally, I think I heard the chair say that somehow these funds are overs subscribed, that they're plentifully funded. And I don't buy that either. That is shorting these funds today knowing that you will have a problem down the road that you must step up and fund it and calling it fiscal responsibility. And you know what? You seated the right to any claim of fiscal responsibility with your recent actions including the reconciliation bill.
▶ 2:26:32With that, I urge adopt uh adoption of this amendment and I yield back. Thank the gentlemen. Are there other members wishing to address the There's no further de debate. The uh gentleman from uh Idaho is recognized for one minute to close. Oh, excuse me. This is your Sorry, gentle lady from Connecticut.
▶ 2:27:03The gentle lady from Connecticut is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. You know, in the richest country in the world, people in every state should have access to clean water. House Republicans are decimating the efforts to ensure our water is safe to drink or use to cook or to bathe. I don't care where people come from, uh they have uh they need access to clean drinking water.
▶ 2:27:25And if you take the amount of money that's the clean water um and the uh drinking water revolving fund, we're talking about a cut of $1.7 billion at 62%. I refer you to the chart that I believe that everyone should have at their desk, which goes state by state to tell you what the cut will be. In Florida, $58 million cut. Georgia, 35. Illinois, 65. Uh Pennsylvania, $61 million. Texas, $100 million.
▶ 2:27:55California, $146 million. you you find the way to get those things paid for when this is a necessity um for people and it's in the midst of a cost of living crisis. The last thing American families should have to worry about is whether the water coming out of their tap is safe, whether their water bill is going to skyrocket because their city or county cannot afford the needed maintenance. Um we shouldn't be piling more costs on families who live paycheck to paycheck. And that is what this amendment attempts to stop.
▶ 2:28:24I urge your support for the amendment and I yield Thank the gentle lady. The questions now in the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Connecticut. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair of the nose have it. Recorded vote. Recorded votes been requested. Sufficient number of hands have been raised. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Adhalt. Mr. Adhalt. No. Mr. Aguilar. Mr. Aguilar.
▶ 2:28:54I. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alfred. No. Mr. Ammedday. Mrs. Bice. Mrs. Bice. No. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Calbertt. No. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. I Mr. Sisammani. Mr. Klene. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud. No. Mr. Klyurn.
▶ 2:29:27Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar. Mr. Quayar. I. Miss Dean. Miss Dean. I. Mr. Loro. Mr. Lauro. I. Mr. Diaz. Boltart. Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards. No. Mr. Elie. No. Mr. Elzie. No. Miss Escobar. Mr.
▶ 2:29:57Espayat. Mr. Espayat. I Mr. Fleshman. Mr. Fleshman. No. Miss Frankle. Miss. Frankle. I. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr. Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. I. Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Hoyer. I Mr. Hoyer I Mr. Ivy Mr.
▶ 2:30:27Ivy I Mr. Joyce Mr. Joyce no Miss Miss Captor I Mr. Loa Miss Lee Miss Lee no Miss Lllo Miss Lllo no Mr. Lean Mr. 11. I Miss Mallaloy. Miss Mallaloy. No Miss McCullum. Miss McCullum. I Miss Ming. Miss Ming. I Mr. Molinar.
▶ 2:30:58Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Mvan. Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No. Miss Perez. Miss Perez. I. Miss Pingri Miss Pingri I Mr. Pokean Mr. Pokean I Mr. Quigley Mr. Quigley I Mr. Rashenthaler Mr. Rashenthaler no Mr.
▶ 2:31:28Rogers Mr. Rogers no Mr. Rutherford Mr. Rutherford no Mr. Simpson Mr. Simpson no Mr. Strong Mr. Strong no Mrs. Torres Mrs. Torres I miss Underwood Miss Underwood I Mr. Valido. Mr. Valado. No. Miss Wasserman Schultz. Miss Wasserman Schultz. I Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. I Mr. Wac. Mr. Zinci.
▶ 2:31:59Mr. Zinci. No. Are there members wishing to record or change their vote? Gentleman from South Mr. Klyurn. I. Gentleman from Georgia. Mr. Bishop. I gentleman from West Virginia. Mr. Moore. No. Gentleman from New York. The gentleman's not recorded.
▶ 2:32:29Mr. Morelli. I gentle lady from Nevada. I do not believe the gentle lady is She's recorded as a no. Oh, you're recorded as a no. Off. No. on I for Miss Gentleman from Florida. Mr. Diaz Bolard. No. Other where? Mr. Wac. Uh, gentleman from Arkansas. Mr. Wac. No. Miss.
▶ 2:32:59Carmine's food is really messing up the balloting. Are there any other members wishing to record or change their vote? Not clerk will tally.
▶ 2:33:40Gentleman from New York. Mr. Loa votes no. On this vote, the eyes are 26, the nose are 32. The amendment is not adopted.
▶ 2:34:18Gentleman uh from Idaho, Mr. Simpson is recognized for an amendment. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment that I Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with. Gentleman's Mr. Chairman, this is manager's amendment.
▶ 2:34:34Has several non-controversial changes in the report that are of interest to many members of and I yield back. Thank gentlemen. Gentle lady from Maine, Miss Pengu is recognized. Uh I rise in support of this amendment.
▶ 2:34:57I appreciate the chair working collaborative collaboratively with myself and other members uh to make technical corrections and adjustments were appropriate and I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. Do any other members wish to address the manager's amendment? Seeing none, I recognize Chairman Simpson for one minute to close. Steel That may have been the most eloquent I've ever heard you be. Very good. Yeah.
▶ 2:35:28Uh the question is now on the amendment. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment is adopted. He's not here. A gentle lady from Maine, Miss Pingry is recognized for an amendment. Mr.
▶ 2:35:57Chair, I have amend at the desk and I move to dispense with the reading. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, this amendment addresses the issues related to PAS chemicals, sometimes known as forever chemicals. These are chemicals in our environment that don't easily break down.
▶ 2:36:21They've been linked to health problems, cancer, kidney problems, high cholesterol, and their contamination is widespread. These are chemicals that were widely used, have continued to be used, and they find we find them in our drinking water, in our land, in a variety of places.
▶ 2:36:39Now I'm particularly interested in this amendment in the contaminants that are in our land and in in Maine we have seen a real prevalence of these PAS chemicals in farmland in another land uh primarily because they were in sewage sludge that was spread as fertilizer on the farms particularly in the 70s and 80s although in many states still spread today.
▶ 2:37:03So unfortunately when that sewage drug contains PAS it leads to the contamination of agricultural land products grown on that land and the waters surrounding it. Our state is one of the leaders in testing for this. So if it isn't present in your state, it will be known soon because most states will eventually start testing for this and in many states it was common practice to use the fertility and sewage sludge on farmland and that's how it ended up there.
▶ 2:37:30But now we have these heartbreaking stories of farms that have been impacted. And let me just tell you about one. Songberg farm in Unity Maine have to had to close in 2022 after they found high level of PAS contamination in the soil. It was a wonderful farm that the family had built up over the years growing vegetables and grain.
▶ 2:37:49But when they were tested, not only did they find out this was present in their soil that they had worked on for years, but the blood tests for Adam and Janna and their 5-year-old child confirmed that they also had extremely high levels of these chemicals. They're now undergoing treatment to reduce the high levels in their own blood.
▶ 2:38:10and Adam has been working to raise awareness about PAS so that other people can understand uh that we don't want it in our land and that it's hard to remove and continue to work for ways uh to research how to remediate our soil when it has been contaminated. Um the EPA has been working on a draft risk assessment for PAS in sewage sludge. This is all logical.
▶ 2:38:34There's general agreement that pest is a contaminant and we don't want it in our sledge and we certainly don't want it contaminating um our soil. But the puzzling thing is that now the EPA has decided to stop their risk assessment of this contaminant in sewage sludge. Uh administrator Zelden and I have discussed this when he was one of our colleagues here in Congress. Uh he supported the idea of removing PAS from our land. It's an issue in upstate New York.
▶ 2:39:02So as a legislator, he represented those concerns just the same as I do do and many other legislators have as well. So it's puzzling to me why this agency would now uh stop work on understanding why we have PAS in the soil or what are reasonable levels that should be allowed in sewage sludge. So this risk assessment uh as I said is being blocked. Uh we all know that it is better to prevent the contamination than try to clean it up afterwards.
▶ 2:39:30we don't really necessarily have good ideas um or enough research to understand how to remove PAS once it's present in our soil and in my state um because there hasn't been sufficient funding um allocated by the federal government we already have a buyout fund that was uh supported by the state and we have now purchased back our first farm but that's a tragedy we don't want to spend state or federal dollars buying back farms because people have lost their livelihood perhap lost their h their health
▶ 2:40:00um and lost their ability to sell vegetables or grain or whatever it is they're selling to their friends and neighbors or to run their dairy operation. So, uh I'm sure if you spend a day listening to any of the farmers or family members uh who have been hit by one of these farms um or lost one of their farms because of the spreading of sewage sledge, you too would wonder why is the EPA discontinuing the research? Why are they stopping this risk assessment? So, this uh this amendment does a simple thing.
▶ 2:40:28It basically uh takes the writer out that says um they're going to block the risk assessment and puts this back on track. So, I urge you to support this. I know if you haven't heard about this in your home state, you will hear about it soon. This is not again a partisan concern. This is something we would all worry about and it's heartbreaking to see a farmer or farm family lose their farm because of the contamination of these chemicals. Uh so, I urge passage of this and I yield back the balance of my time.
▶ 2:40:56Thank gentle lady, the gentleman from Idaho, Mr. Simpsons, recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I agree with what much of what Miss Pingri said. However, I rise in opposition to this amendment. First, this draft risk assessment was finalized literally at the last minute. It was published in January 15, 2025, 5 days before inauguration day. Unfortunately, the previous administration rushed many rulemakings out the door at the last minute.
▶ 2:41:24This leads to concerns about serious flaws with the assessment. For example, the assessment does not include a riskmanagement analysis which is unprecedented and fails to include recent research or practical real life models of farms. This funding prohibition targets a very specific and flawed assessment related to PAS. It does not upend the agency's work to protect the environmental and health and human health.
▶ 2:41:52In fact, administrator Zelden has announced several major actions the EPA is taking on PAS as it continues to be a priority with this administration. Uh, our Republican onblanc amendment adopted earlier modifies this section to allow EPA to finalize this risk assessment as they find appropriate so we ensure that this work can continue.
▶ 2:42:15So, while I agree with what much of what uh uh ranking member Pingri said, uh the reality is is that this amendment is unnecessary and I think would harm uh us finalizing the rules. So, I oppose the amendment and would urge my colleagues to oppose it. Thank gentlemen. Gentle lady from Pennsylvania, Miss Dean is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, chairman. and I thank the chairman and the ranking members.
▶ 2:42:45Um, I rise in opposition to this amendment uh, excuse me, I rise in support of this amendment which would strike uh, section 507 which is for those of you looking for it, it's almost the last page of the bill. this rider prohibiting EPA from working on the draft sewage sludge risk assessment uh prohibit any kind of funding for that report uh which that report uh showed the risks.
▶ 2:43:14Uh as ranking member Pingri has said PAS contamination has likely already hit impacted uh and affected all of our districts. In my district back in suburban Philadelphia was when I was in the state house, EPA testing revealed extremely high levels of PAS in the water surrounding the former Willow Grove Naval Air Base, a base where my brother my brother Harry uh in the Navy worked uh on airplanes.
▶ 2:43:43It is believed and it is known actually that this is uh contamination due to the past use of firefighting foam AF. Ever since I've been fighting for resources so that we can both remedy the contamination and better understand the many adverse health impacts connected to PAS.
▶ 2:44:02We were even able to get a million-doll uh study, health study for our area for the many neighbors uh and folks who had worked on the base uh to test their contamination levels. And sadly uh the numbers came in very high.
▶ 2:44:17Uh and I will say to you uh just as ear as recently as this week uh I was talking with uh one of my district people who's been on this with me for the past 12 years uh and the POS levels remain stubbornly high at different times uh from the water rolling off that uh black top at the at the now defunct base. The other thing I want to impress upon everybody is the chemical companies who produced the firefighting foam, the POS POA uh containing foam.
▶ 2:44:45They've known for decades uh we just celebrated somebody's uh entrance into a 60th year. They've known for six decades uh the dangers. Happy birthday. That that was awkward, but yeah. Um they've known for decades I'm right there with you. I'm a little ahead of you.
▶ 2:45:04um that the the firefighting foam uh the use of uh these forever chemicals that do not break down in the environment and and do wind up in our blood uh have such high risk uh to bad health outcomes. Um we have to address this. We know how to filter for it. Finally, EPA uh set a maximum contamination level. uh and this past year we acted decisively to address it.
▶ 2:45:34It's taken years and yes it comes at an expense but think of the longerterm cost to our communities due to the health associated risks. We cannot afford this delay any longer. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and restore uh to uh to restore the funding uh around PAS studies. Thank you. I yel Thanks gentle lady. And I I would ask the gentleman from Alabama to quit rubbing in the fact that he's 60.
▶ 2:46:02You're losing a lot of friends up here at the Uh are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. Again, uh I encourage my colleagues to support this for the sake of the the farmers and those who are concerned about the contamination from PAS. Um I want to clarify the way I was describing this. Uh I am trying to remove a rider.
▶ 2:46:32The rider prohibits the EPA from continuing the risk assessment. So our goal is to make sure that the EPA continues this important risk assessment. My goal is to remove the rider that would stop them from continuing. So I urge my colleagues to support this brilliantly written and very thoughtful amendment and I thank the gentle lady from uh the questions now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Maine.
▶ 2:47:02All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. Opinion of the chair the nose have it. Roll call has been requested. Sufficient number of hands have been raised. Clerk will call the role. Mr. Adder Halt, no. Mr. Adterhalt, no. Mr. Agular. Mr. Aguilar. I. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No. Mr. Ammeday. Mrs. Bice. Mrs. Bice. No. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Bishop.
▶ 2:47:32I. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Calbertt. No. Mr. Carter. Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. I. Mr. Sisammani. Mr. Klene. Mr. Klene. No. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud. No. Mr. Klyurn. Mr. Klyurn. I Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar.
▶ 2:48:03Mr. Quay. I. Miss. Dean. Miss Dean. I. Mr. Lauro. Mr. Loro. I. Mr. Diaz. Boltart. Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards. No. Mr. Elz. Miss Escobar. Miss Escobar. I. Mr. Espayat. Mr. Espayat. I. Mr. Flechman. Mr. Flechman. No. Miss Frankle. Miss Frankle. I. Mr.
▶ 2:48:33Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr. Guest. Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. I Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Hoyer. Hi. Mr. Hoyer. I. Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I. Mr. Joyce. Mr. Joyce. No. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I. Mr. Loa.
▶ 2:49:06Miss Lee. Miss Lee. I. Miss. Let Miss. Let no Mr. Levan Mr. Levan I. Miss Miss McCullum. Miss McCullum. I Miss Ming. Miss Ming. I Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli.
▶ 2:49:36I Mr. Moran. Mr. Moran. I Mr. Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No. Miss Perez. Miss Perez. I Miss Pingri. Miss Pingri. I Mr. Pokean. Mr. Pokean. I Mr. Quigley. Mr. Quigley. I Mr. Rashenthaler. Mr. Russianthaler. No. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Rutherford. Mr. Rutherford. No. Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. No. Mr. Strong.
▶ 2:50:06Mr. Strong. No. Mrs. Torres. Mrs. Torres. I Miss Miss Underwood. I Mr. Valido. Miss Wasserman Schultz. Miss Wasserman Schultz. I Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. I Mr. Wac. Mr. Wac. No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci. No. Are there any members wishing to record or change their vote? Gentleman from West Virginia.
▶ 2:50:36Mr. Moore. No gentleman from Florida. Mr. Diaz Bolard. No gentleman from Texas. Mr. Carter. No. The other gentleman from Texas. Mr. Elie. No. We have other members wishing to change or record their vote. Seeing none, clerical tally.
▶ 2:51:13Um, how's the gentleman from California He's not recorded, Mr. Valido. No. Thank you.
▶ 2:51:55On this vote, the eyes are 28, the nose are 31, and the amendment is not Gentleman from West Virginia. Mr. Moore is recognized for the purpose of an M. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk and I ask unanimous consent that the reading be dispensed with. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Right.
▶ 2:52:24So, I um have an interesting amendment here which I rise in support of. Grab my glasses. not on my 60th birthday yet, but I still need these. that's um has to do with a land transfer and a land swap in between um land that is currently owned right now by Interior. Then land over here that is owned by the Department of Homeland Security.
▶ 2:52:53This green right here is actually a national historic battlefield, Battle of Harper's Ferry. which occurred kind of up this way. This is part of that. And for some reason, um there's this big donut in it which belongs to the Department of Homeland Security.
▶ 2:53:14Now, if I was able to get on the phone and call Robert Bird and ask him why it's like this, uh I would, but I don't have that ability right now to be able to do that. But when this was created, for some reason, this land was acquired with it, which has put this big donut hole in here. Now, why this is so important to this facility, it's the uh it's the uh Border Patrol's advanced training center.
▶ 2:53:41And the advanced training center for CBP is the only place in the country where we're able to train um ICE border patrol customs officials to be able to become officers or agents.
▶ 2:53:56Now, as you all are aware, we have now appropriated through reconciliation $175 billion dollar to the Department of Homeland Security to hire a lot of new agents, which, you know, we're looking at, you know, 10,000 new ICE agents. I think it's 5,000 Border Patrol or uh 30,000 Border Patrol and 5,000 Customs officials. So, that's a lot.
▶ 2:54:24Now this place is already at capacity unfortunately and as you see the land that's contiguous to it is part of interior and so we've been trying to swap these two things. Now I know this is an author authorization and this is appropriations which we never do that till we do.
▶ 2:54:43Um, but this is why I just kind of wanted to bring this issue to everybody's attention since this is going to be an urgent issue that one way or another either natural resources or this committee somebody is going to have to deal with at some point. And it's unfortunate because it's also put this kind of no-go zone around this beautiful historic Civil War battlefield. Um, and so that's why we're looking to swap these two.
▶ 2:55:13uh in this amendment. But with that said, I've worked with the chairman. We've had a great discussion about how to work on this issue, past this markup right here, and look forward to working with you moving forward on the floor and as we go into conference and things of that nature. But uh and appreciate your support in understanding the critical nature of this issue, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much, Chairman Simpson, for that. So, with that, I'm going to withdraw my amendment. Hopefully I don't have to bring this poster board back next year.
▶ 2:55:43But I'm gonna bring it back every time till it gets fixed. But thank you, Mr. Chairman, so much and I yield back. The way things move, you may be uh making a repeat of parents. Gentle lady from Maine, Miss Pingry is recognized for the purpose of an Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have an amendment at the desk and I move that reading be dispensed with.
▶ 2:56:10Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh I want to discuss a portion of the bill that I consider underfunded and that is the funding to the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. This is one of my favorite parts of this uh bill to work on and one of my favorite parts that we fund here, our funding for our arts and cultural agencies.
▶ 2:56:37And while it's a very small portion of what we do, the funding that comes through the federal government through the NEA and NE is some of the only funding that goes nationally to the arts. Now, many people would be like, what's the importance of the arts? We've got a lot of other critically important things to fund. And we do. Medicaid, SNAP benefits. There are a lot of important things that we should be funding, but we should not be leaving it out. And the levels in this bill are as low as they have been since 2007.
▶ 2:57:06Um, and that is a tragedy to see. These are very small but mighty agencies and they work far above their rate weight. These support communities in all of our districts and whether you know about them or not, you very likely have funding for arts programs through the National Endowment of the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities that would not be funded any other way. This is visiting artists in the school. This is small community theaters.
▶ 2:57:35These are historical societies and libraries and reading programs for veterans. In fact, there are 678 counties across the country, most of them in rural areas where the NEA does more to fund the arts in the top 1,000 foundations. In many communities, this is the only source of outside funding. And I know, having served on a school board, how critically important it is to get arts in our school curriculum. And often the only way you can fund them is through funding that comes from the outside.
▶ 2:58:05The arts and culture sector contributes over a trillion dollars a year to our economy. It's a significant part of the economy. Arts and culture is more than agriculture, transportation, or construction. Yet, we often dismiss it as if it's sort of an add-on or something we do for fun, but it's a critical part of what we do.
▶ 2:58:27Now, I appreciate the fact that the Republicans when they wrote the bill put back into this funding mechanism $135 million. So, the Trump administration cut it to zero. It was at $27 million, which is not a very large sum of money. Um, but they added back $135 million. My amendment here would put in the next 72 and get us back to the 207. That is the level, as I said, the lowest level we've been at.
▶ 2:58:57Um, well, no, the 135 million is the lowest level we've been at. That would get us back to the level that we've been at. All I'm trying to do is keep the status quo for arts and culture. Now, I think the chair earlier said, is it okay to put arts in, not arts in, funding in, not in? Okay, I really do appreciate that you put the funding in. So, thank you very much for that. What I don't like is this administration zeroing it out, but then deciding, well, it's arts funding that they determine how it goes.
▶ 2:59:26For instance, if they get the $250 million for the Kennedy Center and they decide how it goes, then that arts and culture is allowed. And what they've done with the NEA and NEH is taken $17 million that was allocated to the NEA and 17 million to the NE and $40 million that they got through the reconciliation bill to create a sculpture garden of heroes that the president determined would be a good idea.
▶ 2:59:50So he's taking this money that was purposed for our communities, for our local funding, um, and using it for something that he determined would be a good idea for the arts. And just to make it clear, this sculpture garden of heroes are 200 heroes of the president's choosing created by artists of the president's choosing out of materials of the president's choosing in a state of his choosing.
▶ 3:00:16So again, uh I appreciate that this administration has determined that there are good places for arts and culture, but this should be a decision that we all make. This should be funding that comes to all of our communities and particularly when it comes to the NEA and NEH. This is money that should be restored, should be returned to its current level. The staffing should be returned to its current level and we should go back to granting funds to our local communities. This is a vital engine for the arch. This is a vital source of funding.
▶ 3:00:46This matters in each and every one of our communities. This funding was cut uh dramatically by the president. I want to see it restored and I want to see this funding restored. So, I hope you will support my amendment and restore the funding back to 270 mil $27 million for both the NEA and NE uh to return to where we were. And uh I yield Thank you, gentle lady. Gentleman from Idaho, Mr. Simpsons recognized and respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 3:01:15Uh this is a tough one. I don't think there's anybody in Congress who supports the arts or humanities more than I do, except maybe Mrs. Fingry. Unfortunately, uh this exceeds would put there's no offsets on this. It would exceed the 302B which has been approved by the full committee. Uh which means this bill couldn't make it to the floor. Let me tell you what we what we did The administration or the OM recommended zeroing out the arts and humanities.
▶ 3:01:46We didn't do that. We reduced them substantially by what 37 35%. From the 207 down to $135 million each. The way it traditionally works and has worked and according to statute is out of the 207 that goes let's pick the national down for the arts they get $27 million.
▶ 3:02:1040% of that, which would be about what $83 million, goes to the states and that supports state arts councils and so forth. My concern was what if we give the $27 million or the $135 million to the arts, but there's nobody there to take it because they haven't appointed anybody to the National Down for the Arts or the National Down for the Humanities. What happens to the money then?
▶ 3:02:40So what we did is say listen if there's nobody at the National Endowment for the Arts to accept this $135 million that it all goes to the states divided by the formula which means instead of getting 84 million $83 million divided among the states they would get $135 million divided among the states and guess what states arts councils that I've talked to said hey that's not a bad deal so maybe this is the right way to do it But I want to preserve the arts
▶ 3:03:10and make sure that we do that with the arts and humanities. Unfortunately, as I said in the beginning, this would exceed our 302B and that meant that we couldn't be wouldn't be able to get this bill to the floor. So, I reluctantly, very reluctantly, uh opposed the gentle lady's amendment. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Miss Deloro from Connecticut is recognized to address the Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 3:03:41I rise in support of Ranking Member Ping's amendment. It restores the base level of funding from last year for the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities. I can think of no more fitting example of the Trump administration's dismal vision for the future of America than cutting $72 million each from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
▶ 3:04:04The American people are struggling with the cost of living crisis, but this administration is not only cutting the programs that help people to survive, like food stamps, Medicaid, and public housing, but also the programs that help Americans experience life fully. At one time, I served as president of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven. I learned firsthand how much the arts mean to people. They make us stop and appreciate the beauty and the mis the mystery of the world. They open us up to new ideas.
▶ 3:04:34They teach us new ways of communicating with those around us and force us to reckon with the bigger questions in life. The arts are about our humanity. In the words of one of my personal hearings heroes, the late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, and I quote, "The arts are not a frill. The arts are a response to our individuality and our nature and help to shape our identity." What is there that can transcend deep difference and stubborn divisions? the arts." End quote.
▶ 3:05:04These words stuck with me and I think about them every year when I open the ceremonies at the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, which just celebrated its 30th successful convening of arts and performers from around the world, right in my home, in my own home on the New Haven Green. This festival is an event for the whole community where people from all cultures can come together to appreciate music, dance, sculpture, and more.
▶ 3:05:31There are countless programs like this all across the nation that benefit from the efforts of the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities. Either directly through funding and logistical support or indirectly through the broader ecosystem of artists and conveners that the NEA and the NEH have helped to nurture, grow, and sustain. I've always believed that our lives are richer and fuller when we take the time to appreciate art, reflect on it, and perhaps most of all, to make it.
▶ 3:06:00And public support and access is essential for the arts to flourish rather than become stagnant and dependent on private philanthropy. That is why I've always fought to protect funding for our national arts programs. Every great nation around the world funds its arts, its galleries, its museums because they recognize that the arts are not a luxury or a distraction. They are essential. They are common heritage and a way to celebrate a shared national identity.
▶ 3:06:30That is one more reason why this bill is so disappointing. These cuts, as well as cut to the Smithsonian Institution, are the definition of pennywise and pound And arts and cultural industries generated over $1.2 trillion in economic activity last year.
▶ 3:06:49According to a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the NEA and NEH are crucial funding sources that help this fast growing sector thrive. America's achievements and contributions to the arts are critical to our national identity and unity and these programs ensure all Americans can join our shelf, our shared culture. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and I yield Thank gentle lady.
▶ 3:07:18The gentle lady from Ohio, Miss Captor is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I rise in strong support of Miss Pingre's amendment to restore funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, which have been cut 144 million or 41% below the 2025 enacted level. The country could actually use a little more humor at this point in its history.
▶ 3:07:45And uh the arts and humanities really are the heartbeat of our country and our communities. Uh they create joy uh music uh they are they create understanding uh and promote creativity which is at the fundamental uh fundamental definition of what it is to be an individualist in this society uh and to enjoy the blessings of liberty.
▶ 3:08:13They preserve our shared history, give voice to the voiceless, and help us understand one another across generations across backgrounds and across beliefs. In the part of America I come from, from local theaters to museums, uh, to our zoos to our cultural festivals and community murals, we see how creativity builds civic pride. It is who we are. My hometown of Toledo is where the literary heroine Nancy Drew first came to life.
▶ 3:08:41Uh the Carolyn King pseudonym uh actually uh was stated in the Toledo Blade, our local newspaper, by journalist Mildrid Wert Benson, who wrote many of the first Nancy Drew mystery novels before 1953.
▶ 3:08:59A documentary project to honor this American icon came to a grinding halt in April when filmmaker Kathleen O'Connell received a letter from the federal government saying her production grant from NEH had been terminated. The letter came with no explanation. This is a very unfortunate example of this administration's holding back already appropriated funding promised to our communities. Handcuffing art.
▶ 3:09:28handcuffing artists who tell America's story and share it with the American people deserves honor. I really do wonder who some of those folks are over at OM. Humorless. When I see them on TV, they never smile. They always look down. They look really der. I think they haven't been exposed to the arts and humanities enough.
▶ 3:09:48Now, uh, Miss Okonnell had planned to present the documentary at community screenings at local libraries around our country, allowing a new generation of readers to fall in love with Nancy Drew and her adventures. Uh, and most importantly, reading, reading, reading.
▶ 3:10:05In January of this year, the Wall Street Journal reported literary scores among youth, literacy scores among youth in our country were at the lowest level since the 1990s with only about 60% of fourth graders and 67% of eth graders reaching basic proficiency. That means a whole lot of our youth are falling by the wayside. This is a problem. America, wake up.
▶ 3:10:34This Nancy Drew documentary was also going to air on public television, allowing it to reach almost everyone in the country. But last week, my colleagues across the aisle voted to gut funding for the public broadcasting system, gut funding for Big Bird, gut funding for creativity, gut funding for food, housing, and health care. Where will it stop? One has to be pretty der to think of America in the way they are over at OM.
▶ 3:11:02I urge my colleagues to please support this amendment when we invest in the arts when we invest in education, in innovation, and in healing. Support this amendment to keep America's culture and history alive, not just in Washington, New York, and Chicago, but in all of our communities and available to all Americans. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I support the gentle lady's amendment with full throttle. I yield back. Thank the gentle lady.
▶ 3:11:32The gentleman from Maryland is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you very much. Mr. Casease and I make the argument and others have made the argument uh that if you lead with the argument that we have a cap and therefore we can't take the bill forward. That was a decision that was made. Uh life's a series of tradeoffs and you decide what you think is important and you spend money on that.
▶ 3:12:04But if you cap and I will argue this frankly when uh the financial services bill is considered sometime in Uh we have made a decision to cap our Uh it's called the 302B. We all voted against that 302B and really had no input into it. But the other side made a decision through the reconciliation bill to cut a lot of funding and they had to offset that.
▶ 3:12:34They had to offset their tax breaks for mostly wealthy people. 67% goes to the top 1%. so we are left not with an argument that this is not important because the chairman to his great credit has said today and he has said repeatedly. He believes this is a very important enterprise for us to pursue.
▶ 3:12:59And my judgment is I may be wrong that if we had sufficient resources for this committee to cover both environmental and other matters as well as the NEA and the NE that the chairman would be in favor of the fiscal year 24 level that was passed in 23.
▶ 3:13:21So this is not a great sum uh that uh we are marking to uh and I would say that this is about our values and the vote will be about our values. Do we think this is important? Do we think pursuing the arts and humanities is important for the welfare of our country?
▶ 3:13:44Now very frankly if you're very wealthy you can access all the arts and humanities you want to fun want to access see here for enjoy. But if you're not and you're in the local school system or the local arts club they don't get a lot of money but they enrich the community and they enrich each one of those who participate in it.
▶ 3:14:09So I would uh rise in strong support of the gentle lady's amendment. U very frankly we can ask for a waiver. Uh we can move forward with this. It's important to do. I urge his support. Thank gentlemen. The gentle lady from Florida, Miss Frankle's recognized to address the amendment.
▶ 3:14:39microphone, please. Lois's microphone. Thank you. Thank you. I I rise in strong support of represent representative Pingberg's amendment to restore funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. That is a uh mouthful there. But listen, this is very personal to me. Uh, many of you know that as I listen to our debates, I like to doodle. Oh, here's one of my doodle.
▶ 3:15:09One of my doodles today. Not one of my best doodles, but it is a doodle. And you know what helps? It keeps me focused uh on these lengthy discussions uh back and forth uh with our colleagues. And later uh Mr. Chair, with your permission, I have an exhibit. Later, I take these doodles and I put them on canvas that does not represent anybody I know, but that is one of my doodles.
▶ 3:15:36Um, that's where the joy begins because uh I go into my little paint room, I put on my favorite music, Diana Ross, the Beach Boys, sometimes Carol King, you could tell when I was growing up. Um, and then I paint. And like millions of Americans, I suspect like some in this room, I'm looking right at one, Mr. Alfred.
▶ 3:16:03I I suspect uh that the arts brings so much joy into people's lives, whether it could be uh, you know, painting or playing an instrument or seeing a play or visiting a local museum because arts lift us up. They give us meaning and uh connect us in ways that you can't put a price tag on. Is is it are you okay? Okay.
▶ 3:16:32Uh and that's why gutting funding for for the arts and humanities by nearly 40% is so sadly wrong because when we invest in the arts and humanities, we're investing in education. We're investing in jobs. We're investing in our own stories. The arts and humanities help us understand our past, see the world through someone else's eyes, and imagine a better future. They preserve history, give a voice to people too often ignored.
▶ 3:17:00And importantly, they build bridges in a time when division and distrust are running wild. And so, and cutting the arts, it's an attack on learning, on creativity, on critical thinking, and the soul of our democracy. And the impact is re real. It will hurt museums, libraries, cultural center schools, especially those serving kids and underserved communities. We know art education keeps students in schools.
▶ 3:17:29They boost test scores and even help kids graduate. And let's not forget the economic impact that some of my colleagues have discussed so far. in my own uh home area, which I'm so proud of. And we have places like the Kravis Center and the Norton Museum, the Morconi Museum, the Cox Science Museum. I could go on and on. Uh the arts generate over $300 million a year just in Palm Beach County, supports over 4,000 jobs, and attracts millions of visitors.
▶ 3:17:59And uh across the county, the arts power local businesses, fuel tourism, and keep main streets alive. But beyond arts, uh, the dollars and cents, the arts binds us together. I think everyone can think of a painting, a song, a performance, or a film that moved us. Maybe maybe this painting is moving somebody. My cat liked it. I will tell you that.
▶ 3:18:27But, uh, listen, something something that stayed with us, opened our eyes, or made us feel less alone. The power of arts is part of what makes life worth living and we can't afford to lose that. So let's stand up for our educators, our artists, our curators, our historians and dreamers who help us better understand ourselves and one and each other and let's pass this amendment to restore funding and send a message.
▶ 3:18:56The arts and humanities are as essential to our communities as schools and roads and hospitals. They are the heartbeat of who we are. Let's keep those doodles alive. I urge my colleagues to vote yes and I yel back. Thanks, gentle lady. Gentle lady from Pennsylvania, Miss Dean's recognized for comments on the amendment. Uh and I rise in support of this amendment too.
▶ 3:19:29uh which would restore the base level funding for the National Endowments uh for the arts and the National Endowment for Humanities to the 2025 levels. But if I'm doing the math correctly, I think that would really be what was the 2024 enacted levels. In my community, PA Humanities supports expanded access and awareness of the humanities, including by making grants to nonprofit organizations, which funds are provided by NEH in my districts.
▶ 3:19:57And and I really urge you all to take a look at summaries of that which has been funded in your own districts. It is really important. It's not a huge amount of money, but these grants are incredibly important to our communities so that we too might have budding Lois Frankles among us. what we have in my community.
▶ 3:20:18We have care grants uh for uh many libraries including Mullenberg, Bertown, Pottstown, Huntington Valley, North Wales, uh Lower Providence. We have art centers, uh White Marsh Arts Center, North Wales uh area libraries, uh Kutztown, Mullenberg, Brandy Wine Community Libraries getting support for the arts uh through federal funding and so much more. Uh so much of it has to do with our children.
▶ 3:20:47So much of it has to do with whether it's performance or art. Um and seeing budding artists uh along the way, it enriches all of us. Um as my colleagues are likely aware, on April the 2nd, Doge terminated the contracts of all state humanities councils. You know what that meant for Pennsylvania? 1.2 million in general operating funds to support their staff, operations, and programs. gone, wiped out. Thank you, Doge.
▶ 3:21:16Pa Humanities has had to reduce staff, work hours, pay as well as stop grant making and pause programming. All at the time of summer, uh, when so much could be going on for our young people.
▶ 3:21:30On June 25th, NEH rescended PA humanities grant termination, but it did not reinstate their appropriated funding and deobligated I I love these herbs deobligated additional dollars, meaning 1.1 million is still lost uh to the state for FY25. To me, this is simply unacceptable. This hurts ourselves when we do this.
▶ 3:21:55Uh we must push back against these unconscionable cuts and continue to demonstrate robust bipartisan increasing not flat level not cuts uh support for arts and humanities. And so I'm very delighted uh that representative Pingri has brought forward this amendment and I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield back. Thank you gentle lady.
▶ 3:22:19Are there any other members wishing to address the Seeing none, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you, Mr. Chair. You've heard compelling arguments about how the arts uh make play a vital role in our community or a vital role in our lives. Uh this is often the only source of funding for many of our communities.
▶ 3:22:43And we have uh the opportunity to do something very good here today to make sure we restore that funding so that our communities are whole, so that our schools continue to have um arts in the schools, so our local community theaters and dance troops and u music organizations all can thrive.
▶ 3:23:00So people can have these opportunities no matter whether they come from a wealthy community that has plenty of resources or one that's strained for resources but can use these federal dollars to do these great things for our communities, for our kids to bring us closer together to bring us all the same opportunities. So I urge you to support this amendment and I yield back my time. I thank gentle lady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Maine. All those in favor say I.
▶ 3:23:30All those opposed say no. Pending the chair. The nose have it and the amendment is not adopted. Gentle lady from Maine is recognized for an Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have an amendment at the desk and I prefer to have the reading dispensed with without objection. The reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 3:24:00Chair. You'll all be pleased to know this is the last of my amendments. So, this one would remove uh a writer on a uh pesticide labeling amendment. So, just to explain this a little bit, the EPA sets the floor for how pesticides can be regulated and then state and local governments can and should be able to inform residents of their states of potential health risks based on the latest science.
▶ 3:24:27reasonable restrictions made for pesticide usage such as limiting how close they can be sprayed to schools or playgrounds or whether they can be sprayed in certain communities. This amendment are allowed because of this. So there's a floor. This allows communities and states to do a little bit more. This writer would preempt states from going beyond the current floor. It doesn't take chemicals away from farmers. It doesn't take away the opportunity uh to farm or to use these pesticides.
▶ 3:24:56And it doesn't change something that currently exists. This amendment does not take away pesticides. It just ensures that state and local governments can provide residents with upto-date safety information. And it ensures that chemical companies can be held responsible for failing to provide relevant safety information. Now, if we all truly care about making sure that America is healthy, then why wouldn't we want to make sure that Americans have access to relevant health information on pesticides?
▶ 3:25:26And why would we want to give giant chemical companies a pass for being held liable if someone is harmed from their product? My state, Maine, is one of the uh seven states that currently does have advisories and restrictions. Over 30 state and local regulations in Maine are related to pesticides and pesticides warning that could be preempted by this language.
▶ 3:25:48And I just want to make sure that states like Maine, my home state, uh, which has a whole variety, as I've said, of these kinds of, uh, restrictions. Here's a information on the many states in my the many communities in my state that have decided to provide this information, warning, or restrictions. And uh people would be very upset in my state if they thought they didn't have the right to go beyond the floor.
▶ 3:26:13Now, we've heard some talk about this already, and I'm sure we'll hear some argument about it already, that the language simply clarifies existing law that states can't require a different pesticide label. That's not true. The this amendment would forbid the EPA itself from approving any label that or policy that departs from an old risk assessment or cancer classification. It freezes the effect of these assessments.
▶ 3:26:39Um, in the last review it said non-cancer-causing EPA is barred from adding a warning even if there is new science or court findings or the company itself asks for it. This would ban that until a new assessment is finished. So, this is just a way to make sure people have the information. This is just a way to allow that the EPA does its job to protect us from harmful chemicals. This is just a way to make sure that that information is available.
▶ 3:27:07Uh I urge you to support this amendment. It removes a writer that changes what is existing practice and I think that it's something we should be all able to agree on. I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from Idaho, Mr. Simpson is recognized to respond to the amendment. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Uh apparently I'm going to have to explain this once again. I thought I was fairly clear with it before.
▶ 3:27:34Let me read to you what the FIFRA statute says. This is what it Uniformity. Such state shall not impose or continue in effect any requirement for labeling or packaging in addition to or different from those required under this sub chapter. This is an interstate commerce thing.
▶ 3:27:58Now, if Maine wants to ban chemicals in its state because it thinks they're not labeled correctly, they can ban them. They can ban them today. It will this will not affect that. It just says that Maine shouldn't be able to do a labeling requirement and then all the chemical companies in the world have to apply uh have to abide by whatever Maine decides they're going to sell them in Idaho.
▶ 3:28:22It's more likely that it won't be Maine because they probably don't have that many sales in Maine compared to say When the California EPA, their state EPA decides they want a different labeling, they think that it that this chemical causes cancer, they can put that on their label. Well, then every state is going to have to put it on eventually because a company is not going to have a different label for every single state. They will go to the most strict one that sells the most.
▶ 3:28:52That'll be California probably. And that would be the standard across the country. What we have tried to do over the years is say the EPA does this. It is not a floor. I don't know where that idea came. It is a floor. It may cause cancer. It may not. We're not going to say it does. That's not what the EPA does.
▶ 3:29:15The EPA does research to see if it's c causing cancer or any other And they can redo it. They can revisit it. they can re-examine it as many times as they want, there's nothing that prevents them from doing that. All this does is deal with the interstate commerce part of labeling.
▶ 3:29:36So if a state wants to say, you know I don't want this sold in Idaho because we think in Idaho that it causes cancer, we can do that today. All this deals with is labeling. We think we address this in the underlying onblock amendment. So, I understand the concern and I understand the confusion out there that's being spread.
▶ 3:30:05Frankly, uh I know the maja moms have been calling and all that kind of stuff. You know, I agree with them. I think we ought to make America healthy I'm glad they're taking an active role in this, but they're getting so much misinformation about what this does that it's hard to find the truth out. And we're hearing a lot of it today. So, I would hope my colleagues would vote against this amendment. I'll try not to talk about it again.
▶ 3:30:34Uh but I hope we vote down this amendment. I thank gentlemen. gentle lady from Minnesota is recognized to address the Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To be clear, I support the Pig amendment and I believe what you're telling me. I need some clarification and I'm not I didn't talk to any of these groups that you've talked about. Okay.
▶ 3:31:02So, I think the bill might do more or I need to see language that doesn't include what I'm about to read. So, And I'm reading from from the language that I have about the bill and it says none of the funds made available by this or any other act may be used to add to issue or adopt any guidance or any policy take any regulatory action
▶ 3:31:33or approve any labeling or change such labeling that is inconsistent or within such a re uh respected different from the conclusion of what's on there. So here's where I have the the problem, Mr. Simpson, is any guidance.
▶ 3:31:51Right now, Minnesota provides guidance from our state to our farmers and to u other community members about which pesticides might be harmful, which are water soluble, which could land up in their wells. So, I agree with what you're saying, but what I have in front of me would would says any guidance.
▶ 3:32:17And then when you look at the bill on page 246, some of the money that Minnesota uses it when it has its its guidance when we we go out and we talk to farmers and we talk to people who are applying it. And I worked on this when I was in the state house. The pesticide program uh is included in that money and it says not no funds.
▶ 3:32:43So then when I read guidance, it's like okay, that's slightly different from what I'm hearing you say and support some of what Miss Ping uh uh ranking member Pingry is saying. So, I feel very caught in the middle on this because I don't want to take a vote that would put Minnesota in jeopardy from using any of the EPA pest aside money for doing guidance.
▶ 3:33:12And I don't see in the language here, um, there was a term, I used to hate it when people used it when we would do bills in Minnesota. I don't see any comfort language in here that would would lead me to believe that I wouldn't be putting our guidance money in jeopardy. And so I just wanted to say that for the record. Um here I Mr. Simpson, I believe everything you're telling me. I do.
▶ 3:33:36But reading it leads me to believe I could by by not supporting the Pingry Amendment putting our guidance in jeopardy. And with that, I I thank you both for listening to me and I yield Thanks, gentle lady. Gentle lady from Florida, Miss Washington Schulz, recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 3:34:05I I rise today in strong support of the Pingri amendment to strike this insidious industry written writer from the bill. Um, I I'll I'll point out and I certainly trust and have Mr. and have respect for Mr. Simpson and uh and have worked with him on many issues and appreciate his sincerity. Um, but the fact is this this is a writer that protects chemical company profits at the expense of our health, our communities, and even our children's lives.
▶ 3:34:35But let's be clear about what this does. And I'm not about to say anything different than what Mr. Simpson just described. It would prohibit states and localities from issuing their own warnings about pesticide risks, even if new scientific evidence shows those chemicals cause cancer, birth defects, or other serious harm. This writer would gag the very governments that are closest to the people and best situated to quickly protect them. Everyone here knows I'm a breast cancer survivor. I find this writer not just offensive, but dangerous.
▶ 3:35:05And I'm not the only cancer patient cancer survivor in the room, nor do I corner the market on concern on behalf of CA cancer patients. But this bill, this this language says that even if science evolves, even if we learn more about the cancer risks that these pesticides pose, states and communities can't put warnings on this packaging to tell you that. They can't require that. They can't even warn people.
▶ 3:35:35And that's unconscionable. We know how this happens. Chemical companies put profits ahead of our health. Then they ask Congress to shield them from any This amendment doesn't cancel the sale of any of these chemicals. It just says that based on science, warnings have to be allowed. And that's exactly that. This writer is the classic poison pill.
▶ 3:36:01Literally, it's written by and for polluters slipped into a funding bill that's supposed to protect our environment and public health. And let's not forget it also strips away state and local authority. Many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, actually, most of us really spend a lot of time promoting local control, states rights. Well, here's your test. Will you side with your community's local rights or with chemical lobbyists? States always had the ability to go above and beyond federal minimums. Always.
▶ 3:36:31when it comes to protecting their citiz citizens. By the way, while this language might have been in the bill over the last three years, it has actually never made it all the way through the process. So, it is not current policy. This writer would rip away the ability for local governments, state governments to use science to best inform their constituents. Um, I I I walked the hard path of a cancer diagnosis and treatment.
▶ 3:37:00I've seen what it does to families and felt the impacts of my own family and children. And I refuse to stand by while we let corporate lobbyists write language that muzzles states and leaves families in the dark about real risks to their health. The ranking members amendment is about protecting people, not polluters profits. So yes, let's rip this rider to shreds.
▶ 3:37:21must send a clear message that we will not allow corporate polluters to hide the truth about cancer-causing chemicals and we will always fight to put public health above corporate wealth. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the ranking members amendment. Vote yes and stand with your constituents and local and state governments. Vote for sunlight and transparency and vote to inform your constituents about the risk that these chemicals pose. then let them make their own decisions. Thank you.
▶ 3:37:51I yield back the balance of my time. Thank you, gentle lady. The gentle lady from Pennsylvania is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh I rise also in strong support of this amendment. I associate myself with all of my colleagues, especially Miss Wasserman Schultz comments. Um I'm also a former Philadelphia trial lawyer. Uh so this strikes at something uh that I care an awful lot about, which is protecting those who are harmed.
▶ 3:38:18uh particularly by companies who know better uh and they want to protect themselves instead of uh their customers. Quite simply, section 453 would prevent states from acting expeditiously to protect their residents from dangerous chemicals. EPA has to do an entire study from scratch in order to change their determination of whether chemicals cause cancer, even when outside evidence is definitive.
▶ 3:38:43This can mean yearslong delays in updating labels, meaning more people are harmed by chemicals that we already know to be dangerous and that chemical companies are shielded from liability even when they know they are responsible. This quite simply makes no sense. One especially egregious example of this is Parakquat. Parakquat is made by Sententa, which is owned by Chemhina, a Chinese state-owned chemical conglomerate.
▶ 3:39:13Parakquat has known health risks. It is banned in dozens of countries including in China. Let me give you an idea here what it is. Uh, paraquat is a herbicide herbicide widely used by American farmers despite being banned in over uh 70 countries including China. Uh, its dangers. Independent research links chronic parakquot exposure to heightened risk of Parkinson's disease.
▶ 3:39:43Studies show that paraquat can damage dopamine producing neurons essential for motor functions. Farmers who have handled parakquot in the fields are at the highest exposure for risks. Internal documents indicate Sententa knew as early as the 1960s, we're going back to those birthdays again, that paraquat could accumulate in the brain, potentially causing Parkinson's like symptoms.
▶ 3:40:11And they continued to market the product without adequate warnings, even as China and 70 countries banned the sale of it. What's going on now? There are thousands uh of farmers uh struggling with Parkinson's like uh disorder who are suing uh to uh for their own damages, but also for the right to let others know and that there be warnings uh on all of these uh labels when the dangers and the uh
▶ 3:40:41damage is known. So section 453 would shield uh Sententa uh Chem China from liability when Parakquat causes harm. As I say, this is just one example. I don't understand how it makes any sense. Why wouldn't we want to warn? Isn't there a duty to warn and shouldn't we allow states to do that? I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and I yield Thank you, gentle lady.
▶ 3:41:11The gentleman from California, Mr. Leven, recognized to address the amendment. Thank you. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I too rise in support of the Pingry Amendment. Let's be honest about what this provision does. It blocks the EPA from updating pesticide labels, even when new science shows those products may be dangerous. And it ties the hands of states like mine in California, from stepping in when the federal government won't. We're not talking about burdensome new regulations.
▶ 3:41:40We're talking about basic transparency, telling people when a chemical they're using or spraying might cause cancer or serious harm. I know that many of you might vote to keep this section in the bill, but I'd ask you to think hard about who benefits and who pays the price. Because this provision doesn't protect farmers, it protects companies from lawsuits. It gives them cover to keep selling the same product with the same outdated label long after we know it might be causing harm.
▶ 3:42:10And when the lawsuits come, and they will come, those same companies will stand behind section 453 and say, "Well, Congress told us not to change the label." That will be your name on it. It'll be the vote of this body. It'll be your legacy that that happened. And I think we all want a strong agricultural sector. I'm proud to have almost a thousand small family farms in and around my district.
▶ 3:42:35We just want consistency for producers that can't come at the cost of silencing science or shielding people from accountability when they know that uh they are using pesticides or other sorts of uh harmful substances. So, let's do the right thing, not the easy thing. the right thing and I'm open to anybody telling me that what I just said is wrong on the substance on the merits and I hope you support the Pingri amendment. Thank you.
▶ 3:43:08Thank gentlemen. Are there any other members wishing to address the If there's no further debate, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh and thank you to my colleagues for all of their eloquent arguments about why this amendment should be adopted. Just once again to emphasize the point here. This removes a writer, a writer that is in this bill that has been submitted in other bills but has never become actual law.
▶ 3:43:37So we are not changing exe existing practice. We are not taking anything away from current farmers and their ability to do the work that we do. As my colleagues have said so eloquently, this is making sure that people have current and updated information about the health impacts of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, a variety of things are regulated under FIFRA. This makes sure that that information is available.
▶ 3:44:04If your state chooses to add that information, if your state chooses to add more restrictions or if the EPA wants to update that, it will be allowed to do so. Farmers have other alternatives. Many of these chemicals or pesticides or herbicides are banned uh in other countries and they have alternatives that they use.
▶ 3:44:24There is a reason we got calls from Maha moms and organic farmers because this is one of those areas where we converge where we say we want to make sure our families stay healthy. We want to make sure our communities are healthy. We want to make sure the very farmers who interact with these chemicals are also healthy and know the dangers of the chemicals that they face.
▶ 3:44:47There is never a time in this country where there should be information that is known by a company and not as available to everyone else who may consume or use that product. So let's make sure that information stays that the rights are there for our farmers and our consumers, and we remove this rider and remove this harmful language. And I yield back. Thanks, gentle lady. The questions now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Maine. All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 3:45:18All those opposed say no. Opinion of the chair. The no have it. Uh and the amendment is not agreed to. Gentle lady from Minnesota, Miss McCullum is recognized for an amendment. Mr. Chair and um the amendment uh if we can dispense with the reading that's fine with me and I think everybody else in the room. Thank the gentle lady.
▶ 3:45:46Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with. Gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. This amendment is absolutely swamped with partisan policy writers that I truly believe have no place in our appropriation process. My amendment would strike 72 writers. writers. Um I think they're u you know they have funding limitations.
▶ 3:46:15They have Anyways, they're just not my cup of tea. But let me tell you a little bit about some of them. Uh they limit protections for the threatened and endangered They uh undermine the EP's EPA's ability to protect clean water and clean air. They block greenhouse gases report uh reporting and clean energy developments.
▶ 3:46:40There are so many writers in this bill I can't even begin to address them all in five minutes. So, I'm just going to highlight a few of them. The provision prohibiting the regulation of methane emissions under the Clean Air Act and methane emissions fees.
▶ 3:46:58Now, methane is 80 times worse for global warming than carbon dioxide and can directly harm human health through air pollution that contributes to breathing problems, heart disease, cancer, and stroke. the provision prohibiting the EPA from updating 20 year old 20-year-old regulations on meat and poultry products uh which uh their affluent discharge goes into our waterways.
▶ 3:47:27Now I'm someone who grew up in South St. Paul. When I was a kid, Swifts and Armors were the two powerhouse community uh employers, the stockyards. and before regulations went into place. Believe me, I can tell you what the Mississippi River looked like. I can tell you living uphill when the winds were wrong, what it smelt like.
▶ 3:47:51So now, um, by by having this rider in here, we're telling the EPA that they can't limit what's dumped into your waterways. at least 18 writers that tie up individual endangered species listing that interfere with habitat management plans such as divers grizzly bears uh the northern long-eared bat and native muscles.
▶ 3:48:13They're removed from the endangered species list provisions that mandate oil and gas development on public lands while also stopping leasing reforms that provide a better value for the taxpayer on the extraction of our natural resources. And then there's the writers to defund the Rainy River watershed mineral withdrawal to reinstate toxic sulfide or mining leases within the Boundary Waters Wilderness. Well, you've heard me talk about that before quite often here.
▶ 3:48:42Submitting partisan writers with uh without having science-based decisions in in this arena in the rainy watershed allows foreignowned mining conglomerates to pursue its interest over the demonstrated need to protect priceless clean water. What's even worse is it takes away the ability for our courts to even review these leases, taking away one of our checks and balances. That's so important.
▶ 3:49:09And if you think I'm just opposed to all the writers in this bill because the outcomes are things I don't like, I'm going to point out there's a writer in here that would make a stat a statutory change to the tie blatnik appraisals that's up in the eighth congressional district. Let me be clear, Minnesota would benefit by this writer and I've supported legislation for it. But I applauded Senator Smith when she went about the right way and passed a bill on the unanimous consent calendar last December.
▶ 3:49:37And I was so disappointed when the Senate passed something over and the House didn't do its job using one-year funding to address bills that need statutory changes. Folks, it's just the wrong way to legislate. So, I ask my colleagues to support my amendment to strike all 72 of these um inappropriate writers in the bill. and I yield back. Thank you, gentle lady and gentleman from Ido. Mr. Simpson's recognized to address the amendment.
▶ 3:50:08Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh it might not surprise you that uh I rise in opposition to this amendment. Uh these are important provisions to somebody. We included these critical provisions uh in this bill. promote domestic energy production, expand access to critical minerals, reign in in heavy-handed regulations at the EPA, limit abuse of the Endangered Species Act, and yes, it has been abused, and protect hunting, fishing, and recreational access.
▶ 3:50:34For these reasons, I must urge a no vote on this amendment, and I yield back. Thank gentlemen, gentle lady from Maine is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to rise in strong support of the gentle lady's amendment. This bill contains 72, as you heard, poison pill writers that run the gamut from striking DEI initiatives to negatively impacting endangered species, addressing climate change, and hindering the work of the EPA.
▶ 3:51:00Uh, the gentle lady has already done a wonderful job of naming many of the writers and why we oppose them, but the fact is the other party is in the majority. They have the ability to pass these pieces of language throughout their policy bills. Uh, they shouldn't be doing it on appropriations bills. None of these are appropriate. They take away the work of our agencies and their ability to do it and most of them are things that we don't support. So I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this amendment and I yield back. Thank gentle lady.
▶ 3:51:29Are there other members wishing to address the Seeing none, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. When I was the ranking member of this subcommittee during the first Trump administration, we had 16, count them, 16 partisan writers, and we were fighting to strip them out because I thought that was too many. And I thought this should go through regular order.
▶ 3:51:57When I became chair, I was committed to removing all of them. Now, I'm not going to pretend it was easy because as the as the as the chairman of the subcommittee pointed out, I had people who wanted them on both sides of the aisle. But I said, let's get back to regular order here. Let's focus on what we should be doing, the appropriations. Um, just because the appropriation bills become a mustpass bill doesn't mean that everybody has to put everything that they think must pass into the appropriation bill, especially this subcommittee.
▶ 3:52:26So, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Remember when I was chair, that was a while ago, 16 writers. Today, I'm asking you to remove 72 harmful writers that hurt our ability to enact the final interior appropriations bill. Let's get these writers out. Let's get back to business. Let's get back to having bipartisan bills come out of the full committee when our subcommittees do their markup. With that, I yield back.
▶ 3:52:57Thank the gentle lady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Minnesota. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair the nose have and the amendment is not accepted. Gentleman from Illinois, Mr.
▶ 3:53:24Quickigley is recognized for the purpose of an I have an amendment at the desk. I ask that the reading be dispensed with. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Mr. Chairman, Alcatraz Prison was officially closed in March of 1963. It was not closed as some suspect due to repeated escape attempts.
▶ 3:53:51Rather, the sheer amount of money then that it took to keep the prison open made it impossible to justify its operation. In 1959, the cost to house one prisoner at Alcatra was over three times higher than for a comparable prison in Atlanta.
▶ 3:54:12At its closing, there was an estimated 3 to5 million in deferred maintenance In 1981, 20 years later, President Reagan considered reopening Alcatra, but ultimately decided against it as his administration realized it lacked any adequate facilities for housing inmates and was much more valuable as a national park.
▶ 3:54:40Alcatraz Island generates approximately $60 million annually as it receives over 1 million visitors from across the world. Hugh Hurwitz, who served as acting director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said he thought the idea of reopening Alcatraz was a joke. Yet, the president's borders are has said that Alcatraz could be an option for addressing our border crisis.
▶ 3:55:08My friends on the other side of the aisle included a provision in this bill which would prohibit the National Park Service from using any federal funds to provide housing for undocumented immigrants. And I agree we should not waste taxpayer dollars on reopening Alcatraz for use as a detention center or a prison. My amendment would prevent the transfer of Alcatraz from the National Park Service and any funding to make it operational as a detention facility either.
▶ 3:55:38It is estimated right now that cost put it in working order is around 2002 $2 billion and that it would cost around $500 a day to incorporate that cost to keep an inmate there. It would be cheaper to keep them at the Ritz. uh which is also a bad idea and I encourage you to support this amendment.
▶ 3:56:08Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from IDO, Mr. Simpsons recognized to respond to the amendment. Uh thank you, Mr. I don't know that I disagree with anything that the gentleman from Illinois said. What I do know is this though is the previous administration created a crisis at our border. A This administration is trying to clean it up and I don't want to take any option off the table.
▶ 3:56:36Cost 500 bucks today to hold them there. I don't know. That's cheaper than the motel or putting them in in New York. So why would you want to limit? I don't know if it's a good idea or not. I really don't. I but uh I I'm not willing to take any option off the table. It may be that you look at it and go, "Man, this is just crazy." It might be. I don't know.
▶ 3:56:57So, I would oppose this amendment and encourage uh encourage my colleagues not to take options off the table of cleaning up the crisis that's been created by the previous administration. And I yield back the balance of my time. Thank the gentleman. Gentle lady from Maine is recognized to address the Thank you, Mr. Chair.
▶ 3:57:17I I thank the gentleman from Illinois for his excellent amendment, and I do appreciate the chair's thought that maybe uh maybe turning Elcatraz back into a prison is a dumb idea. So, I appreciate your acknowledgement of that.
▶ 3:57:31Um, but I do have to say that anytime one of this administration's dumb ideas comes up, generally the defense of it from the other side is, "Oh, there's been a crisis at the border and we're just going to have to do this because you guys did that." So, I'm not going to debate the crisis at the border. That's not the subcommittee we're on today. But I do want to clarify the president's plan is not to turn this into a border detention center.
▶ 3:57:58The president's plan is to turn this back into a prison. Like a real prison that you go to when you break the law, you break into someone's house or you commit a murder. This is yet another prison. So on the face of it, I wish that we could just all say this is just stupid. We're the appropriations committee. This would cost $2 billion. This prison was closed in 1963.
▶ 3:58:23At the time when this prison was still it required uh h where did I see that? Uh you know something like a million gallons of water had to be transported out to this island just to maintain uh the prisoners. Yeah. A million gallons of water per week had to be shipped to the prison. So that's just one of the many costs of operating a prison like this. Uh it's deeply impractical. It's now best used as a national park.
▶ 3:58:52I think it must be a lot of fun to go visit there and see what it looked like, to see uh this prison on an island and to see the celebrated Alcatraz that no one could ever escape from allegedly. And it belongs in the National Park Service. $2 billion. This is the administration that has talked us to death over fiscal responsibility about cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. How could you not say that was going to be waste, fraud, and abuse?
▶ 3:59:20And just to put it into context, $2 billion dollar is exactly what the administration put into their allocation for the national park. So they're willing to spend as much on converting this back to the prison as they do on all of our national parks. So if we're going to free up this kind of money, could we just put it into the national parks? I think they could greatly benefit from that, particularly after this bill that we're debating today.
▶ 3:59:47cut the National Park Service by 213 million. That the national that the uh Big Ali bill rescended $267 million per park staffing and that we haven't approved the Great American Outdoors Act. So, we don't have that long-term investment in capital needs in our parks. All of you either represent a national park, care about a national park, and know that every one of them has great needs.
▶ 4:00:12that the staffing has already been cut and there's not enough staffing this summer to meet the need uh of all the visitors who want to visit our park. So, could we just go back to saying this is a dumb idea? This is a misuse of $2 billion. We want to be the appropriations committee that talks about waste, fraud, and abuse that only applauds and allows for good ideas.
▶ 4:00:36Uh, and we want to support this amendment that removes the possibility of turning Alcatraz back into a prison. So, I encourage you all to support Mr. Quigley's amendment and I yield back. Thank gentle lady. Are there other members wishing to address the Seeing none, the gentleman is recognized for one minute to close. Mr. Chairman, I suspect that someone tested the word Alcatraz and it came back as badass, right?
▶ 4:01:06And we we want to get tough on crime. I get it. So, we're going to call what we do in Florida Alcatraz or anything else that sounds tough uh Alcatraz. But that doesn't mean using the real Alcatraz when it didn't make sense when John F. Kennedy was president uh to do it again. There are other maximum security prisons.
▶ 4:01:31it would be cheaper to build a new one any place in the United States rather than to reopen Alcatraz. Uh the extraordinary cost of its uh rehabilitation and the ongoing cost of having a prison on an island. So uh I respectfully ask for your support on this amendment. Thank the gentleman. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Illinois.
▶ 4:02:01All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. Such enthusiasm on both sides. U opinion. The chair the nose have it and the amendment is not agreed to. Gentleman from Texas is recognized for an amendment. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk and I ask that we dispense with a reading.
▶ 4:02:27Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman's recognized for remarks on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh members, this is the amendment that I think we ought to add in every appropriation bill that deals with uh performance measures, uh goal setting, uh making sure that we get rid of any unnecessary regulations, rules, etc. find any cost savings uh and present it to the Congress so we can make the final uh decision.
▶ 4:02:53Uh the chairman and I uh have been conversing and we um have um talked about looking at this later on. I believe uh I want to certainly sit down with your staff and our the ranking member and our staff also uh to uh make sure I think there's a couple questions that they had. They like the language but we'll find uh let's see what those questions are. So to buy ourselves a little bit of time, Mr.
▶ 4:03:18Chairman, I will be willing to uh withdraw uh this amendment that I offer and I I believe Mr. Simpson has agreed to work with me and his staff and uh our ranking member and our staff. As always, I appreciate the gentleman's uh professionalism and concern for the time of the committee. Thank you very Thank you, sir. Uh gentle lady from New Jersey, Miss Watson Coleman, is recognized for an amendment.
▶ 4:03:49very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk and I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment. The reading of the amendment is dispensed with without objection and the gentle lady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. My amendment would restore funding for environmental justice initiatives under the EPA, which the bill under consideration today completely eliminates.
▶ 4:04:17The decision to zero out this funding is a direct and deliberate act of racism by this administration. There are racial disparities and pollution. There are racial disparities in water quality. There are racial disparities and pollution linked illnesses. and pretending otherwise or ignoring it will not change this reality. Funding environmental justice initiatives make sure that this reality is recognized as the EPA carries out its work.
▶ 4:04:47It is funding that was allocated in response to a real problem. Communities of color have pediatric asthma rates that are 7.5 times higher than mostly white communities as a result of higher rates of pollution.
▶ 4:05:03A study from Harvard found that that communities with larger black and Hispanic populations are much more likely to have so-called forever chemicals in their drinking water due to the common practice of building pollution generating infrastructure near these neighborhoods. Ignoring these disparities will not make them go away.
▶ 4:05:25Pretending that racial inequality does not exist in pollution rates will not stop our children from getting sick and even dying. It won't make our drinking water cleaner. It won't make our air quality better. It will only force the victims of this injustice to suffer greater. The EPA has a responsibility to protect the environment for all Americans, not just wealthy or white communities.
▶ 4:05:54My amendment restores funding for environmental justice initiatives so that one's zip code does not determine whether or not one has access to clean water to drink and fresh air to breathe. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment and I thank you and I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from Idaho, Mr. Simpsons recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this amendment.
▶ 4:06:22First, this amendment does not have an offset and would exceed our allocation. Now, kind of important to a lot of the things that have been proposed don't have an offset. If they were really that important to the sponsor of the amendment, wouldn't they try and find an offset? I mean, they have to make choices. We've had to make choices between programs that we thought were more important than other programs in this bill. That's what you do. That's what a budgeting is, is is making choices.
▶ 4:06:47So, this would exceed uh because it because it doesn't have an offset would exceed our 302B and consequently this bill wouldn't come to the floor. Second, I think we can all agree that everyone deserves access to clean air and clean water. This bill provides funding for programs that benefit the health and safety of all individuals across the country. from the EPA's geographic programs to water and wastewater infrastructure programs to funding directly to states to implement permitting programs.
▶ 4:07:14This bill is intended to provide funding to any area that has an environmental issue and needs additional resources. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this and I but I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and I yield back. Thanks, gentlemen. The gentle lady from Maine is recognized to address the Thank you, Mr. chair uh for yielding the time and thank you to the gentleoman from New Jersey for this amendment.
▶ 4:07:40This bill does provide no funding for en environmental justice programs at the EPA. The EPA shuttered the office of environmental justice and external civil rights and put all the employees on administrative leave. Most of them will eventually be fired. In my opinion, this administration does not understand what environmental justice even is.
▶ 4:08:01So, it has arbitrarily stopped working on environmental issues with the tribes, with low-income and rural populations, communities that have disproportionately been impacted by air and water pollution. Just last week, President Trump signed proclamations claiming to exempt some of the largest industrial polluters in the US from protective health and environmental standards. These are polluters in places like Louisiana's Cancer Alley.
▶ 4:08:28These are historically disadvantaged communities that will continue to suffer harm because this administration thinks environmental justice is a bad word. The EPA administrator claims to want clean air, clean water, and clean land for all of America. But if you are a marginalized community, now that they have shuttered the environmental justice programs, you will continue to be marginalized. I hope my colleagues will support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
▶ 4:09:01Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you very much. Uh, Mr.
▶ 4:09:15Chairman, first of all, let me say that it's an insult to even suggest that the reason we shouldn't consider this bill because it isn't part of the it exceeds the 302B 302B funds because this is an issue that should have been dealt with at the at the time that this whole bill was created to to deny people equal opportunity to clean air and good drinking water
▶ 4:09:45because of their race or ethnicity should be against the law. It is against the law and it speaks highly to the uh the omission here speaks highly to the agenda of what I consider to be the most racist administration I've encountered in my life. It just hurts me to my heart that my colleagues support that racism. I yield back. Thank you, gentle lady.
▶ 4:10:15The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from New Jersey. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. Opinion of the chair. The nose have it. Roll call has been requested. Sufficient number of hands have been raised. Clerk will call the role. What? Oh, what? Uh, can we have one more hand raised? Thank you very much.
▶ 4:10:45Appreciate it. Um, so clerk will call the role. Mr. Adder Halt. Mr. Adderhalt. No. Mr. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No. Mr. Mrs. Bice. Mrs. Bice. No. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Calbertt. No. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Case. Mr. Casease. I. Mr. Ciscomani. Mr. Klene.
▶ 4:11:16Mr. Klene. No. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud. No. Mr. Klyurn. Mr. Klyber. I. Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar. Mr. Quayar. I. Miss Dean. Miss Dean. I. Mr. Deloro. Mr. Diaz. Boltart. Mr. Mr. Diaz Bolard. No. Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards. No. Mr. Elzie.
▶ 4:11:47Mr. Elsie. No. Miss Escobar. Miss Escobar. I. Mr. Espayat. Mr. Espayot. I. Mr. Fleshman. Mr. Fleshman. No. Miss Frankle. Miss. Frankle. I. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr. Guest. Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. I Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No, Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No, Mr. Hoyer. Yes, Mr. Hoyer.
▶ 4:12:18I Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I Mr. Joyce. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I. Mr. Loa. Mr. Loa. No. Miss Lee. Miss Lee. I. Miss Llo. Miss Llo. No. Mr. Leven. Mr. Leven. I. Miss Mallaloy. Miss Mallaloy. No. Miss Miss McCullum. I Miss Ming. Miss Ming. I Mr. Molinar.
▶ 4:12:48Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore. No. Mr. Morelli. Hi. Mr. Morelli. I Mr. Moran. Hi. Mr. Morvan. I. Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No. Miss Perez. Miss Pingri. Hi. Miss Pingri. I. Mr. Pokean. Mr. Quigley. Mr. Rashenthaler. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Rutherford. Mr. Rutherford. No.
▶ 4:13:18Mr. Mr. Simpson. No. Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. No. Mrs. Torres. Mrs. Torres. I. Miss. Underwood. Miss. Underwood. I. Mr. Mr. Valado. No. Miss Wasserman Schultz. Miss. Wasserman Schultz. I. Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. I. Mr. Wmac. Mr. Wac. No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci.
▶ 4:13:49Mr. I think you're supposed to You got to not yet voted or seek to. Are there members who have not yet voted or seek to change their vote? Gentleman from Mr. Ammeday. No. Gentleman from Wisconsin. Mr. Pokean. I. Gentleman from Illinois.
▶ 4:14:20Mr. Quigley. I. Gentle lady from Connecticut. Mr. Deloro. I. I. Gentleman from Georgia. Mr. Bishop. I. Are there others wishing to record or change their vote?
▶ 4:14:36Seeing none, the clerk will tally On
▶ 4:15:14this vote, the eyes are 26 and no are 32 and the amendment is not adopted. Mr. Morelli, the gentleman from New York, is recognized for an amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. and I have an amendment at the desk and I move to dispense of the reading. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman's recognized for remarks on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 4:15:38This amendment would ensure that the Smithsonian Institution is not forced to divert valuable funding appropriated by this committee to carry out an expensive and partisan provision inserted into the reconciliation bill by the Senate. The reconciliation bill, as my colleagues may remember, included a provision to remove the space shuttle discovery from the Smithsonian's Udvar Hazy Center in Northern Virginia to a NASA facility in Texas.
▶ 4:16:06The Smithsonian Institution is ardently opposed to this transfer and for good reason. It is unprecedented for Congress to order the removal of an object from the Smithsonian collections and send it somewhere else. While the reconciliation bill gave zero new funding to the Smithsonian, it did provide $85 million to NASA for the quote transfer of a space vehicle end quote. But the Smithsonian estimates the actual cost to be almost four times that number.
▶ 4:16:34The space shuttle discovery is the centerpiece of the James S. McDonald Space hanger at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's annex, the Udvar Hazy Center. This hanger, like the rest of the Udvar Hazy Center, was constructed entirely with private funds, not federal dollars. Uh, and yet Congress is essentially saying to the Smithsonian, "Pack it up, ship it out, and while you're at it, pay for it yourself." Uh, I think this sets a very dangerous precedent.
▶ 4:17:03And let's not forget, discovery is part of American history, and future generations deserve to be able to see it in top condition uh here in the nation's capital. Uh the center uh that it is currently housed at has unique facilities and expertise to maintain and um preserve Discovery and its 1.2 2 million annual visitors who enter free of charge expect to see a space shuttle and they should.
▶ 4:17:31Any funding expended by the Smithsonian should be decided by this committee and should be uh for the good of all uh uh American uh American people and for our constituents and um urge the approval of the amendment. With that, I yield back, Mr. Chair. Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Idaho, Mr. Simpsons recognized to respond to the amendment. Uh Mr.
▶ 4:17:55Chairman, uh I support the gentleman's amendment and urge my colleagues to support it and I yield Thank the gentleman. The gentle lady from Maine is recognized to respond to the amendment. That is excellent news. Thank the gentleman for submitting this very timely amendment and uh I thank the chair very much for accepting it and uh yield back. There's no further debate on the amendment. The gentleman is recognized for one minute to close.
▶ 4:18:25Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and uh thanks also to the uh chairman of the subcommittee. I appreciate very much uh your uh support and the bipartisan support for this amendment. I appreciate the majority's willingness to listen. I hope we can continue working throughout the remainder of this appropriations process to preserve a treasured Smithsonian artifact and keep it where it belongs. So, I urge my colleagues to support. Again, thank the uh gentleman for his support. I yield back. Thank the gentleman.
▶ 4:18:52The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair, the eyes have and the amendment is accepted. Gentleman from California, Mr. Leven is recognized for an amendment. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk and ask unanimous consent to dispense with its reading with without objection.
▶ 4:19:21The reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, this amendment is about ensuring the Bureau of Land Management can carry out its responsibilities efficiently for all energy types. There are currently more than 60 utility scale solar, wind, and geothermal projects under active review by the BLM.
▶ 4:19:44that represents over 25 gigawatts of propo proposed clean energy capacity which is poised to unlock billions of dollars in private investment particularly in rural areas of California, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, and other western states. Many of these communities rely on the revenue from these projects for infrastructure, schools, and emergency services. And with federal permitting required to move forward, timelines really matter.
▶ 4:20:12Turning now to the appropriations that help carry out energy permitting and help get these projects built. The oil, gas, and coal permitting offices received $118 million last year. This year, that number is increasing in this bill to $130 million. That's a $12 million boost. The Renewable Energy Office, meanwhile, is being cut in this bill from 40 million down to 10 million. That's a 75% reduction.
▶ 4:20:43So again, oil and gas goes from 118 up to 130 and renewable goes from 40 down to one to to 10. Uh it's obviously a serious imbalance. The amendment that I'm proposing does not add any new spending. It simply shifts the $12 million increase from fossil permitting over to the renewable office. Fossil f permitting stays fully funded at last year's level of 118. No change.
▶ 4:21:12Renewable permitting moves to 22 million, which is still a 45% cut from last year, but far more workable. Permitting staff are already stretched thin. And recently, the department added new steps to the permitting process for solar and wind, requiring personal sign off by the secretary. That may be a policy choice that some of you agree with, maybe some don't. I do not. But either way, more process means more work, and more work requires people to get the job done.
▶ 4:21:42If the renewable office doesn't have capacity, these projects stall. That means delayed job creation, lost investment, and missed opportunities for energy development in communities that are counting on it. Again, in all of our states, this isn't about picking one energy source over another. It's about keeping all permitting offices properly funded so that government works the way it should. Again, this amendment does not cut funding for fossil permitting by one penny.
▶ 4:22:11It uses the increase proposed for fossil permitting to ensure the renewable office isn't left unable to function. And accordingly, this amendment does not raise some of the spending concerns or create any of the 302B issues as raised with other amendments. This is a modest adjustment that helps keep projects moving and reflects shared priorities, energy development, efficiency, and economic growth. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.
▶ 4:22:38Thank you, and I'll yield Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Idaho, Mr. Simpson, recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I thank the gentleman for actually finding an offset, even though I disagree with the offset. So consequently, I'm going to rise in opposition to this this amendment. The Interior Bill funds programs that champion American energy dominance. This bill supports the president's strategy to unleash American energy, create jobs, and enhance our national security.
▶ 4:23:07We embraced opportunities to support the administration's requested increases to the Bureau of Land Management, oil, gas, and coal development activities. For so long, the prior administration hamstrung our fossil fuel industry for uh burden burdensome regulations to de facto bans. Our fossil uh resources were not able to be harnessed.
▶ 4:23:29I too uh am a fan of an all of the above energy strategy and unfortunately we're now playing catch-up after the prior administration's attempt to ban attempted ban on fossil fuels. So, I cannot uh support this amendment that robs Peter to pay Paul. And I'm not opposed to wind and solar power by any stretch of the imagination. It's appropriate in the right places. We found one place in Idaho and it took us four years to try to ban it in this place where they wanted to put wind towers.
▶ 4:23:58They would have been taller than the Space Needle, 144 of them. uh it would have uh imprint impinged on uh the Japanese internment camp memorial in uh in southeast Idaho. But the prior administration just wanted to push forward. There was not one person. This is a community of probably in the valley of maybe a 100,000 people.
▶ 4:24:22Not one person in four years came up to me and said, "Yeah, we need to move forward with this project." Everybody was opposed to it, but they just wanted to push forward because it was renewable energy. It was wind power. So wind power is right in the right is is fine in the right places and uh appropriate place. Same thing with solar. Problem with solar is it's intermittent also in that it runs into a problem about 12 hours a day on a normal day. The sun sets.
▶ 4:24:54We need more base load. And that's what's happening here. And when you take these digital centers, these uh data centers that are being built all over the country, they need power all the time, not intermittent power. So I think we did the right thing in this bill, moving in the right direction of an all of the above energy policy. And so I would encourage my members to vote against this amendment. And I yield Thank gentlemen. Gentle lady from Maine, Miss Penguy's recognized to address the Thank you, Mr. Chair.
▶ 4:25:24I rise in support of this amendment and I thank the gentleman for submitting it. On day one, the Trump administration said we are experiencing an energy emergency, but they also said we won't fund wind and solar. It is totally s shortsighted to not use all the tools in the toolbox. In 2024, solar and wind energy combined accounted for 17% of total US energy electricity generation.
▶ 4:25:51Stifling clean energy development increases utility bills for Americans. According to a center for American progress, investments in clean energy, electrification, and efficiency will sha save the average household $500 annually in reduced energy costs. It is ludicrous that this administration has desired to shut down wind and solar. They're backing up on this. Uh I support this gentleman's amendment and I hope that we can move forward on this.
▶ 4:26:16And I yield Gentleman from West Virginia is recognized to address the amendment. Oh, sorry. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Uh, I just wanted to speak just briefly um on something we adopted earlier, the manager's amendment specifically.
▶ 4:26:44Uh, we went through it very quickly, so I wasn't able to speak to it. So, I I just want to point something out that we've talked a lot about water in here uh through this markup. And one thing I wanted to highlight is the work that I did with Chairman Simpson on part of an amendment that was included in that uh manager's amendment and myself and Carol Miller, Congresswoman in the first congressional district of West Virginia.
▶ 4:27:10We worked on language to shine a light on the ongoing water crisis that is going on in West Virginia today. There are American citizens living in Wyoming County and Mcdow counties without access to clean water. Um, this is a little depiction of this. It's kind of hard to believe.
▶ 4:27:29And the people of communities like Bradshaw and Oceanana turn on their kitchen sinks and their bathtubs and their washing machines and only have them to fill up with uh brown rancid smelling water. So, hard to believe this is not a coffee maker. This is a washing machine. um hard to believe this is the type of water that they're getting right now out of their public water systems.
▶ 4:27:55And so with that, um this is certainly unacceptable. And so no parent should ever have to wonder why they're are they going to be able to ensure clean drinking water for their children and their community. is something that we've suffered with in the southern coal fields of West Virginia for quite a long time. But my amendment requires the Environmental Protection Agency to break through the log jam.
▶ 4:28:21A lot of fingerpointing has been going on and to break through that log jam, the various government agencies to get to the bottom of the situation. It requires the EPA to brief the committee on what resources it has for communities like those in southern West Virginia so we can end this clean water crisis. So there is really no point in having something called an environmental protection agency if it is unable or unwilling to address plumes or orange bacteria in the drinking water of actual human beings.
▶ 4:28:51And I'm grateful to Chairman Simpson for working to include this in the manager's And uh when we get to this part, I certainly urge all my colleagues to vote for this bill. It's going to go a long way to help those communities in the southern coal fields. And I thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. and I yield Thank the gentleman. Uh are there further members wishing to address the Seeing none, the gentleman's recognized for one minute to close. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Couple thoughts.
▶ 4:29:21I one is that Secretary Bergam can shut down any solar or wind project that he doesn't like. And point number two is that all we're asking for is 118 million for oil, gas, fossil, and 22 million for renewable. It's still uh 6:1 roughly. And under Biden, it was 3:1. It was roughly 118 versus about 40. So the thought that somehow fossil was getting shortchanged is simply incorrect.
▶ 4:29:52The other thing I would say is I want energy dominance, too. I I don't want to lose all those jobs. I don't want to lose those jobs in California. Uh I don't want to lose those jobs in Arizona. Uh I don't want to lose those jobs in Idaho and all the other states in Nevada. Uh those jobs are going to go away if we cannot sight and permit those projects. These are good projects. These are good American jobs, high-skilled, high wage jobs.
▶ 4:30:18All we're saying is just keep funding where it is at the 118 million for fossil. Everybody can do all their hard work in those for those projects and still get those projects cited, permitted, and built. But don't kneecap the renewable uh particularly over politics. Jobs are jobs, Mr. Chairman. Jobs are jobs whether in Idaho, jobs are jobs in California, jobs are jobs in Nevada, Arizona. I don't know why we're politicizing this.
▶ 4:30:47And we're asking for something very modest here. Some basic fairness, basic equity, and conceding a 45% reduction in the funding amount for renewable. 45% reduction while keeping a for fossil. And you won't even agree to that. What will you agree to? And as far as the intermittency argument, I hear that. But we also have storage that helps a lot of those projects become base load projects.
▶ 4:31:17And with that, I'll yield back. Thank gentlemen. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California. All those in favor say All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair. The nos have it. Roll calls been requested. Sufficient number of hands have been raised. Clerk will call the role. Mr. Adhalt. Mr. Adhalt. No. Mr. Aguilar Mr. Alford Mr. Alford No Mr. Amade Mr.
▶ 4:31:46Ammeday no Mrs. Bice Mrs. Bice no Mr. Mr. Calvert Mr. Calvert no Mr. Carter Mr. Carter no Mr. Casease Mr. Case I Mr. Sisammani Mr. Klene Mr. Cloud Mr. Cloud No Mr. Klyurn. Mr. Klyurn I. Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar.
▶ 4:32:19Miss Dean. Miss Dean. I. Mr. Loro. Mr. Loro. I. Mr. Diaz Bolard. Mr. Diaz Bolard. No. Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards. No. Mr. Elzie. Mr. Elsie. No. Mr. Miss Escobar. Miss Escobar. I. Mr. Espay. Hi. Mr. Espayat. I. Mr. Fleshman. Mr. Fleshman. No. Miss Frankle. Mr. Franklin. Oh, Miss Frankle. I Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr. Guest.
▶ 4:32:50Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. I. Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Ivy. Mr. Joyce. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I Mr. Loa. Mr. Loa. No. Miss Lee. Miss Lee. I Miss Lllo. Miss Lllo. No. Mr. Levan. Mr.
▶ 4:33:21Levan. I Miss Mallaloy. No. Miss Malloy. No. Miss. McCullum. Miss. McCullum. I. Miss Ming. Miss Ming. I. Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore. No. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. I Mr. Mvani Mr. Murvan I Mr. New House Mr. New House No Miss Perez Miss Pingri Miss Pingri no Miss Pingri I Mr.
▶ 4:33:51Pokean Mr. Pokean Mr. Pokean I Mr. Quigley Mr. Quigley I Mr. Rashenthaler Mr. Rashenthaler no Mr. Rogers Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Rutherford. Mr. Rutherford. No. Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. No. Mr. Strong. Mrs. Torres. Mrs. Torres. I. Miss. Underwood. Miss Underwood. I Mr. Valado.
▶ 4:34:22Mr. Valido. No. Miss Wasserman Schultz. Miss Wasserman Schultz. I Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. I Mr. Wac. Mr. WAC. No. Mr. Zinci. Are there any members wishing to vote or record their vote or change their vote? Gentleman from Georgia. Mr. Bishop I. Gentleman from California. Mr. Agular. I gentleman from Maryland. Other gentleman from Maryland. Mr. I.
▶ 4:34:52Gentleman from Virginia. Mr. Klene. No. Gentleman from Alabama. Mr. Strong. No. Gentleman from Mr. Joyce, no. Did I vote? Um, yes, she did vote. Okay. Are there other members wishing to vote or change their vote?
▶ 4:35:24Seeing none, clerk will tally.
▶ 4:36:16On this vote, the eyes are 26, the nose are 33. The amendment is not adopted. Seeing no further amendments, I now recognize Mr. Rogers for a motion. Mr.
▶ 4:36:36Chair, I move to favorably report to the House the fiscal year 2026 Interior Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill just to complete his motion. You complete your motion. Okay.
▶ 4:37:04The questions now on the motion to favorably report to the House for fiscal year 2026 Interior Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. Roll call has been requested. Sufficient number of hands have been raised. Clerk will call the role. Mr. Adder Holt. Mr. Mr. Adhalt. I Mr. Aguilar. Mr. Aguilar.
▶ 4:37:34No. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. I Mr. Amade. Mr. Ammedday. I Mrs. Spice. Mrs. Bice. I Mr. Bishop. Mr. Bishop. No. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Calbert. I. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. I. Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. No. Mr. Ciscomani. Mr. Klene. Mr. Klein. I. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud. I. Mr. Klyurn. Mr. Clyburn. No. Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. I Mr. Cole.
▶ 4:38:05Mr. Cole. I. Mr. Quayar. Mr. Quayar. No. Miss Dean. Miss Dean. No. Mr. Loro. Mr. Lauro. No. Mr. Diaz Bolard. Mr. Diaz. Boltart. I. Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards. I. Mr. Elie. Mr. Elsie. I. Miss. Escobar. Miss Escobar. No. Mr. Espay. Mr. Espayot. No. Mr. Fleshman. Mr. Mr. Fleshman. I Miss Frankle. Miss Frankle. No. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. I Mr. Gonzalez.
▶ 4:38:36Mr. Gonzalez. I Mr. Guest. Mr. Guest. I. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. No. Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. I. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. I. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. No. Mr. Joyce. Miss Captor. No. Miss Captor. No. Mr. Loa. Mr. Loa. I Miss Lee. Miss Lee. No.
▶ 4:39:06Miss Lllo. Miss Lello. I. Mr. Levven. Mr. Leven. No. Miss Mallaloy. Miss Mallaloy. I. Miss. McCullum. Miss. McCullum. No. Miss Ming. Miss Ming. No. Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. I. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore. I. Hi. Mr. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. No. Mr. Morvan. Mr. Morvan. No.
▶ 4:39:36Mr. Morvan. No. Mr. New House. Mr. New House. I. Miss. Perez. Miss Perez. No. Miss Pingri. No. Miss Pingri. No. Mr. Pokean. No. Mr. Pokean. No. Mr. Quigley. Mr. Quigley. No. Mr. Rashenthaler. Mr. Rashenthaler. I. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. I Mr. Rutherford. Mr. Rutherford. I Mr. Simpson. Yes. Mr. Simpson. I Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. I Mrs. Torres.
▶ 4:40:10Mrs. Torres. No. Miss Underwood. Miss Underwood. No. Mr. Valado. Mr. Valido. I. Miss Wasserman Schultz. Miss Wasserman Schultz. No. Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. No. Mr. Mr. Mr. WAC I Mr. Zinci Are there any members wishing to vote or change their vote? The gentleman from West Virginia. I don't think the gentleman is recorded. You're recording. You're okay.
▶ 4:40:40Uh, gentleman from Ohio. Mr. Joyce I. Gentleman from Maryland. Mr. Hoyer. No. Are there others? It's kind of hard to tell because some of you are standing up to leave and I just want to make sure I don't miss anybody on a vote.
▶ 4:41:02Seeing no other members wishing to vote or change their vote, the clerk will On
▶ 4:41:42this vote, the eyes are 33, the nose are 28. The motion is agreed to. Uh I ask unanimous consent that staff be permitted to make technical and conforming changes to the bill and report just approved. Three days no objection so ordered. Uh there being no further business the committee stands adjourned.
▶ 4:42:05Most of you are gone, but uh the ranking member and I will confer and try and work out timing over the next couple of days given the early exit of Congress and we will get in touch with you as quickly as we can on both sides of the aisle and let you know as soon as we've got a decision that with that. Yes, we do. Uh with that committee stands adjourned.