[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 114 (Wednesday, July 27, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1416-E1417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2012

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 25, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2584) making 
     appropriations for the Department of the Interior, 
     Environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2012, and for other purposes:

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the FY 2012 Interior 
Appropriations. At a time when Congress should be preventing a default 
crisis and working on job creation, the Majority has chosen to endanger 
our environment and public health by threatening the air we breathe, 
the water we drink, the national parks we play in, the wildlife we 
treasure, and the museums we explore. We cannot ignore the jobs that 
would be lost as a result of the cuts to the agencies this bill funds.
  This bill would overturn 40 years of bipartisan environmental and 
public health protections. Gutting rules and regulations such as those 
in the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act would harm our Nation's 
health just as cities and towns across the country are struck by a 
record breaking heat wave. Instead of trying to reduce emissions and 
improve air quality, the House Majority wants to give a carve out to 
some of the biggest contaminators contributing to global warming.
  It is shocking that in the aftermath of several disastrous oil 
spills, instead of fully funding oversight and enforcement for oil and 
gas extraction, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have 
reduced that funding while increasing the budget for the oil and gas 
extraction programs that benefit big oil. Instead of punishing the 
flagrant polluters, the Majority chooses to reward them. In addition to 
reducing oversight capabilities, this legislation cuts important 
programs that promote clean and efficient energy solutions that would 
help America reduce its dependence on foreign oil.
  If enacted, this bill would result in very steep cuts to programs 
that are important to keeping New York happy and healthy. These include

[[Page E1417]]

across the board cuts to programs such as the Great Lakes Restoration 
Initiative to combat invasive species and the Long Island Sound 
Restoration. The bill includes a provision on ballast water rules that 
is a direct attack on New York's strong rules to protect state waters 
from aquatic invasive species. Our guidelines are more stringent than 
federal and some international guidelines, which under this bill would 
actually prevent New York from receiving any related EPA funds.
  Every state in the union depends on the Clean Water and Drinking 
Water State Revolving Funds to help manage wastewater and protect our 
drinking water. This bill drastically cuts funding to these programs by 
55 percent and 14 percent as compared to last year. The Land and Water 
Conservation Fund that helps states and communities preserve public 
parks is cut by 78 percent. With more than three dozen anti-environment 
policy riders attached to the bill including those to remove the 
Endangered Species Act protections and to prohibit EPA cross-state air 
pollution standards, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are 
using this Appropriations bill to push their own agenda and ideology at 
the expense of our health and that of our land, water and wildlife. 
This bill hurts those most vulnerable to contaminants such as our 
children suffering from asthma, and removes important protections for 
all creatures great and small.
  I urge a ``no'' vote on this dangerous bill that jeopardizes the 
health of our country and our future.

                          ____________________