House today approves Scalise-Richmond amendment to restore money for ecosystem restoration.
WASHINGTON - The House voted 216-177 today to restore $10 million of the $16.8 million proposed by President Barack Obama for the first phase of construction under the Louisiana Coastal Area Program.
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Reps. Cedric Richmond, left, and Steve ScaliseHouse Republicans on the Appropriations Committee had voted to strip the $16.8 million from an energy and water spending bill. Reps. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson and Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, offered the amendment to restore $10 million of that amount and it easily passed.
Scalise said the program is badly needed and has been backlogged and stalled because Congress hasn't provided any constructions money for the Coastal Area Program, approved five years ago by Congress.
"The reason this is critical is because it allows us to move forward on infrastructure improvements, something that we have been trying to do to restore our coast" for many years, Scalise said.
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., who headed the House Appropriations Subcommittee that wrote the water and energy bill, urged a no vote, saying the Corps doesn't have enough money to make a dent in projects already underway.
"It would not be prudent to begin another major new project while we have so many existing commitments," he said.
Richmond said his state can't wait any longer to begin work on projects designed to protect ecosystems and wetlands that are critical to the environment and flood protection.
"The coast of Louisiana since 1950 had sent to the American treasury almost $150 billion, and up until 2006, we didn't receive any revenues back from the federal government for drilling on our out outer continental shelf," Richmond said. "What we do today is ask for the ability to help ourselves, protect our citizens, and make this country safer."
Louisiana congressional members are also seeking congressional approval of legislation that would designate billions of dollars in Clean Water Act fines for the 2010 BP oil spill to the five Gulf states with the expectation the money would fund key ecosystem restoration work in Louisiana. But there's no firm date when the fine money will start flowing and Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., among others, says it's important to get the first construction funding enacted, as the president's budget advocates.
The bill, now pending on the House floor, would spend $32.1 billion on energy and water programs, $965 million less than the president's budget request.
Still, The White House Office of Management and Budget said the bill adds some funding on areas the president proposed to cut, meaning less money available for other key domestic programs under a $2 trillion deficit reduction agreement negotiated by the White House and congressional Republicans last December.
Here's part of the OMB statement:
"Passing H.R. 5325 at its current funding level would mean that when the Congress constructs other appropriations bills, it would necessitate significant and harmful cuts to critical national priorities such as education, research and development, job training, and health care. Furthermore, this bill undermines key investments in clean energy and scientific research and development, building blocks of our Nation's future economy.
"Investing in these areas is critical to the Nation's economic growth, security, and global competitiveness. The Administration also strongly objects to the inclusion of ideological and political provisions that are beyond the scope of funding legislation."