Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)

[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H4798-H4857]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025

General Leave

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 8998 and that I may include tabular
material on the same.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Idaho?

=========================== NOTE ===========================

On July 23, 2024, page H4798, in the second column, the
following appeared: objection to the request of the gentleman from
Wyoming?

The online version has been corrected to read: objection to the
request of the gentleman from Idaho?

========================= END NOTE =========================

There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370 and rule
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 8998.
The Chair appoints the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) to
preside over the Committee of the Whole.

{time} 1758

In the Committee of the Whole

Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 8998) making appropriations for the Department of the Interior,
environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September
30, 2025, and for other purposes, with Ms. Foxx in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the
first time. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not
exceed 1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective
designees.
The gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) and the gentlewoman from Maine
(Ms. Pingree) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Idaho.

{time} 1800

Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Chair, I am pleased to begin consideration of H.R. 8998,
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2025.
First, I commend Chairman Cole for his leadership of the
Appropriations Committee and for his continued support of the
Department of the Interior bill. I also thank Ranking Member Pingree
for her partnership as well as Ranking Member DeLauro of the full
committee and the subcommittee Members for their work on this bill.
H.R. 8998 provides $38.4 billion in new non-defense discretionary
spending, which is $72 million below the fiscal year 2024 level and
$4.4 billion below the President's budget request. The bill also
rescinds $55 million provided to the Presidio Trust through the
Inflation Reduction Act.
Cutting funding is never easy, but with the national debt of nearly
$35 trillion and inflation at an unacceptable level, we had to make
tough choices in this bill to rein in unnecessary discretionary
spending.
This legislation prioritizes critical needs and addresses specific
interests and concerns brought to our attention through more than 8,800
Member requests.
H.R. 8998 fully funds the payment in lieu of taxes program, estimated
at $600 million, which includes over $330 million to permanently
address Federal wildland firefighter pay and capacity. The permanent
pay fix included in this bill would improve firefighter recruitment and
retention and provide financial certainty to the men and women
protecting our communities from catastrophic wildfires.
I will say that, last Wednesday, I was up at what is called the Bench
fire in Idaho. I talked to the firefighters and the fire incident
commanders up there and spent a day with them. I can tell you they do
tremendous work at great risk to themselves. This is something that has
to be done.
It also signals our commitment to upholding the Federal Government's
trust and treaty responsibilities, providing $2.81 billion for the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, a 14.5 percent increase,

[[Page H4799]]

and $1.7 billion for the Bureau of Indian Education, a 7.5 percent
increase. This includes robust funding for the law enforcement
programs, including an additional $13.5 million for the missing and
murdered indigenous women initiative.
The bill also provides over $8.5 billion for the Indian Health
Service, fully funds current services for key healthcare programs, and
covers the estimated increased contract support costs resulting from
the recent Supreme Court decision.
To address these priorities while right-sizing the agencies under our
jurisdiction, the bill reduces funding for most other accounts in the
bill. For example, the EPA is cut by 20 percent below the enacted
level, with reductions targeted at operating programs and regulatory
activities. The bill still includes community funding projects for
clean drinking water infrastructure projects in 285 Members' districts.
The requested amount greatly exceeded the funds available for
projects, but we did our best to provide some funding for all eligible
projects, given the impact these dollars will have on communities
across the country.
In terms of policy, the bill takes critical steps to reduce
regulatory burdens imposed by the EPA and promote domestic energy
production. Such efforts include halting heavy-handed, job-killing EPA
regulations, limiting the abuse of the Endangered Species Act and
ensuring continued access to our public lands, expanding access to
hard-rock and critical minerals, and requiring oil and gas lease sales
and limiting fees on producers. These policies will help boost our
national security, reduce energy costs, and create American jobs.
Madam Chair, this bill permanently fixes wildland firefighter pay,
helps manage our public lands wisely, upholds our commitments to Indian
Country, and restores the fiscal responsibility necessary to get our
country back on track.
Madam Chair, I urge its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Chair, first, I thank the chair of this committee. I appreciate
the chance to work with him. We have a good working relationship, and I
always enjoy the time that we spend together in the committee.
I also thank Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro for her tireless efforts on
this committee and the chair of the committee and the staff on both
sides of the aisle for the work that they have put into this bill.
As ranking member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee, I am deeply concerned that the majority has once again
put forward an Interior appropriations bill that debilitates America's
ability to address the climate crisis, and it hobbles the agencies
within its jurisdiction.
Climate change is a clear and present danger. Experts agree that we
must take bold action to avoid a major, irreversible catastrophe. I am
greatly disappointed and frustrated by the bill before us that
completely disregards the reality of a warming planet and ignores the
need for us to do more, not less.
As the ``Fifth National Climate Assessment'' confirms, the effects of
human-caused climate change are already far-reaching and worsening
across every region of the United States. With that understanding,
cutting funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by $1.8
billion, or 20 percent, is irresponsible and severely impacts needed
investments in environmental justice, enforcement, and climate change.
If we are going to preserve the health of our environment and our
economic well-being, we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
increase our efforts to respond to and mitigate against harmful climate
impacts.
This bill also curtails the progress that has been made to ensure
that all people are equally protected from environmental and health
hazards. The bill abandons our most vulnerable groups that currently
bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental impacts, which
includes large swaths of rural communities that I and many of my
colleagues across the aisle represent.

The bill also slashes funding for land management agencies. The
National Park Service alone is cut by $210 million. This cut will mean
fewer park rangers to protect and preserve the parks' natural and
cultural resources and will negatively impact on the visitor
experience.
Funding for cultural institutions, such as the Smithsonian and
National Gallery of Art, is also significantly reduced, and the
Smithsonian may be forced to consider reducing the number of hours or
days each week that the museums are open to the public.
When our constituents bring their families to see our Nation's
Capital, I think all Members in this room expect that they should have
access to these museums, but this bill could take that away.
The arts have incredible value as a positive tool for economic
development, education, and community building, and I will strenuously
oppose these cuts in the final spending agreement.
There are areas of bipartisanship, though, and I commend Chairman
Simpson's work on wildland fire. The bill includes authorizing language
and funding necessary for the administration to carry out its permanent
pay reforms for Federal wildland firefighters. This is something we
agree on, and I am pleased the bill addresses this important issue.
I am also proud of our work to address treaty and trust obligations
on a bipartisan basis. Unfortunately, though, once again, House
Republicans have loaded up the bill with widely unpopular policy
riders. This year, they have included a whopping 92 poison pill riders
that cripple environmental protection, undermine climate change
policies, and add to the national deficit.
A majority of Americans support the United States taking steps to
become carbon neutral by 2050, and they support taking responsibility
for future generations. The austere and irresponsible cuts in this bill
do not align with America's values. We need to rise to this challenge
and not squander the opportunity to make the planet better for our
children and grandchildren.
Madam Chair, I oppose the bill. I urge my colleagues to oppose the
bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Duarte).
Mr. DUARTE. Madam Chair, under the Clean Water Act, the EPA or States
with delegated authority regulate point sources of pollution into the
waters of the United States. Point source pollution is pollution from
any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance, such as pollution
from sewage treatment facilities but not agricultural stormwater
runoff.
This type of discharge pollution is regulated by Federal law to
protect water quality and human health. Certain types of wastewater
discharges, which are considered point source pollution, into bodies of
water can adversely impact water quality and the environment.
In California, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is surrounded
by communities with wastewater treatment plants. It is critical to
ensure that these facilities are not unintentionally or deliberately
discharging wastewater into the delta, which can result in harmful
algal blooms. This can adversely impact nature and threaten species in
the delta, which has a ripple effect that can ultimately result in less
water going to the Central Valley for families, farms, and affordable
housing. Instead, more water is needed to flush these pollutants out of
the delta.
My amendment, which I am grateful is included in the en bloc package
of amendments, is very simple, Madam Chair. It prioritizes funds for
the Environmental Protection Agency to, one, study whether any
wastewater treatment plants are making point source pollution
discharges into bodies of water, rivers, or deltas without the
necessary Clean Water Act permits and reports to Congress on its
findings so that this body can better exercise its oversight
responsibilities.
This amendment will help keep vital freshwater on farms and in
people's homes where it belongs rather than being used to flush
wastewater out of the delta that should not have even been there in the
first place.
Madam Chair, I thank Chairman Simpson for supporting my amendment and
including it in the en bloc package of amendments.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from

[[Page H4800]]

Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the distinguished ranking member of the
Appropriations Committee.
Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Chair, my appreciation goes to Chairman Simpson
and Ranking Member Pingree and to the Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies Subcommittee staff for their hard work on this bill,
especially Rita Culp and Jocelyn Hunn.
The departments and agencies funded in the Interior-Environment
appropriations bill ensure that our air is safe to breathe, that our
water is safe to drink, that our national parks and other public lands
are protected and accessible to the American people, and that our
Nation's unique and iconic flora, fauna, landscapes, and ecosystems are
preserved for our health, safety, and enjoyment for generations to
come.
Rather than making sound investments to protect our air and water,
preserve our national parks, and ensure the environment we all share
and live in remains clean and protected, the majority's bill benefits
the most egregious polluters and climate science deniers, jeopardizes
public health and safety, hinders our responses to the climate crisis,
and endangers rural and low-income communities.
This disastrous proposal did not come out of nowhere. This is
explicitly where the majority wants to take the country. Project 2025
is the Trump MAGA Republican agenda to take over the government and
destroy our rights and freedoms, but it is not just a document on a
website. We can see the fingerprints of Project 2025 across each of the
majority's appropriations bills.
Project 2025 commands that environmental oversight and regulations be
rolled back or entirely eliminated, preventing the Department of the
Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency from safeguarding the
atmosphere, our waterways, and public lands, and preventing the
Department of the Interior and EPA from tracking emissions and
pollutants. It reverses critical protections for endangered species,
including for the grizzly bear and gray wolf.
Of course, Project 2025 steps on the gas, so to speak, when it comes
to fossil fuel extraction, and it pumps the brakes on any green energy
investments.
In short, Project 2025 advocates for climate and environmental arson.
We can see exactly where the majority has taken its cues from the
climate catastrophe manifesto in this bill.
The majority cuts the EPA's clean water and drinking water State
revolving funds by $678 million. This is funding for water that we
drink and bathe and cook with, a basic necessity that we have a clear
obligation to protect for the American people.
The bill zeros out funds for environmental justice, worsening the
impacts of environmental discrimination for poor and rural communities.
Every American deserves to live in a healthy, clean, and safe
environment, but this bill abandons those who are most affected by
environmental destruction and climate change.
By cutting efforts to reduce carbon emissions, slashing community
resiliency programs, and requiring fossil fuel lease sales on public
lands while prohibiting clean energy projects, the bill unwinds our
response to climate change and promotes dirty energy, taking the side
of fossil fuel companies and those who deny the scientific reality
rather than address the escalating risks to our economy and our
national security presented by the changing climate and growing number
of extreme weather events.
The impacts of climate change are deadly, costly. They can be felt in
communities around the world, including in our own districts. We cannot
put our heads in the sand and act like climate change will disappear.
I proudly worked across the aisle to protect our environment and
public lands for Americans past, present, and future, and I am
immensely disappointed to see the majority abandon their obligation to
conserve America's lands and natural resources.
I believe the national parks are America's best ideas, but sharp cuts
to the National Park Service means fewer seasonal employees and
furloughing existing permanent employees, making it more difficult and
cumbersome for our constituents to visit and enjoy our Nation's crown
jewels.
Cuts to the Smithsonian Institution will likewise curb America's
access to the world's greatest museum, education, and research complex.
To top it all off, the majority has included some 83 new policy
riders that put endangered species at risk, damage the environment,
obstruct clean energy development, hinder the work of the Environmental
Protection Agency, and discriminate against millions of Americans.
I would like to read a portion of a letter that we received from 69
environmental organizations, led by the League of Conservation Voters
and Trust for Public Land. They say: ``This bill is riddled with so
many outrageous policy attacks on our environment that it is
impractical to list them individually. Similarly extreme riders were
removed from the final FY24 Interior appropriations bill just a few
months ago. By going down this path again, we fear Congress is wasting
valuable time that could be better spent producing bipartisan
legislation that has a realistic chance of becoming law. We urge you to
reject this proposal, which is equal parts damaging and unrealistic.''

{time} 1815

The ramifications of this bill will reach into every corner of this
country. This bill damages our public lands. It promotes dirty energy.
It jeopardizes biodiversity and obstructs our response to the climate
crisis. Thus, I cannot support this bill. I encourage my colleagues to
vote against it.
Democrats are ready to pass legislation that protects our
environment, our public lands, and the health and the safety of the
American people. I implore the majority to join us.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the distinguished ranking member of the
Subcommittee on Defense.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, I thank Ranking Member Pingree for the
time, and I thank Chairman Simpson and the staff on both sides of the
aisle for their work on the subcommittee, especially the work that they
did on wildland fires and, when it comes to shared responsibilities to
our Native-American brothers and sisters, for the great work done on
the bill there.
As of today, I still have to strongly oppose the bill because it does
not meet the needs of the American people.
This summer, our Nation has experienced dangerous levels of heat with
records shattered across the West. We are seeing the impacts of a
warming planet, increased severe weather events that cause devastating
wildland fires, and extreme cycles of drought and floods, which I
personally have witnessed in my district both on the Mississippi and
St. Croix Rivers.
This bill ignores reality. It fails to confront climate change, and
in doing so, it fails our communities and our constituents.
The Republican majority has made unacceptable cuts in this bill to
the arts and humanities, our national parks, public lands, and the
Environmental Protection Agency in part because of the allocation. I do
think the allocation was raised a little bit when we went to our full
markup.
The 20 percent cut to the EPA will increase the risk to all of our
constituents who rely on the agency to safeguard their air, their
water, to clean up harmful pollution, to test chemicals and consumer
products, and respond to emergencies like last year's train derailment
in East Palestine, Ohio, or when the EPA had to come out with their
emergency team to clean up a disaster waiting to happen at a closed
facility in my district. The MPCA and the St. Paul Fire Department were
happy to have them there.
This also underscores harmful partisan riders in this bill. Most of
these have nothing to do with the appropriations or even the
jurisdiction of the committee. The Republican majority continues to use
appropriations bills to advance discriminatory and harmful language and
scores points with their extreme right political base, as we see in
much of Project 2025. These riders promote the interests of corporate
polluters. They target the rights of our fellow citizens, and they have
no place in funding legislation.
Two of these poison pills are attempts to overturn protections put in

[[Page H4801]]

place for the watershed that flows through the Boundary Waters Canoe
Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park. I submitted two amendments
to strike these harmful provisions from this legislation, but the
Republican majority in the Rules Committee did not make them in order,
denying a vote on protecting the most pristine, priceless watershed in
the United States and even in North America, I would say.
My hope is that we can work together in conference to improve this
bill. As of this moment, the deep cuts and the poison pill policy
riders it currently contains makes my vote a ``no'' on this bill.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I just have to respond a little bit. Cutting spending is never easy,
and I did not hear from any of the people who spoke on the other side
of the aisle that we have a $35 trillion deficit. That is what is
endangering this country.
If we could just spend more money, I would love to address some of
the problems that they say exist. They do exist. You have to make
choices, and that is what we have done here. We have made choices to
make sure that we fully fund PILT payments, to make sure that we fully
fund our treaty responsibilities with our Native Americans, and that we
take care of the wildfire pay issue that had to be done. Those are
boosts in this bill. That means cuts had to come someplace else.
If you want to go find me another $20 billion to spend, we can do a
lot of things. One thing we can't do by spending $20 billion more is
address the $35 trillion debt that exists in this country today.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I oppose this bill because it contains 92 poison pill riders that
cripple environmental protection, undermine climate change policies,
add to the national debt, and include discriminatory riders targeting
millions of American citizens that have already proven so divisive in
earlier markups.
For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to
recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I
would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill.
My amendment would strike these 92 poison pill riders.
The riders in this bill give an open invitation to exploitative oil,
gas, and mineral leasing and block rules that protect our public lands
and resources for our children and grandchildren.
It is our job as legislators to preserve pristine water and
undisturbed arctic landscapes and save iconic species and apex
predators, which maintain healthy ecosystems that benefit us all.
I am strongly opposed to any effort to discriminate against the
LGBTQ+ community or prevent flying a flag that is chosen to reflect the
full history, culture, and people of this great country.
This bill is the latest in a string of appropriations bills that
create divisions in our society instead of fostering collaboration to
address challenges, like climate change, that impact all of us.
If my Republican colleagues hope to have a bill that is not dead on
arrival in the Senate, they would strike these egregious riders.
Madam Chair, I include in the Record the text of the amendment.
Ms. Pingree moves to recommit the bill H.R. 8998 to the
Committee on Appropriations with the following amendment:
Strike sections 116, 117, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129,
130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141,
142, 144, 145, 146, 147, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155,
156, 157, 158, 159, 430, 431, 434, 435, 436, 440, 441, 443,
444, 445, 446, 447, 448, 449, 450, 451, 452, 453, 454, 458,
459, 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465, 466, 467, 468, 469, 470,
472, 473, 474, 475, 476, 477, 478, 479, 480, 481, 482, 483,
484, 485, 486, 487, 488, 490, 491, 492, 493, 494, 495, and
496.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I hope my colleagues will join me in voting
for the motion to recommit.
Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment
under the 5-minute rule.
An amendment in the nature of substitute consisting of the text of
Rules Committee Print 118-41 shall be considered as adopted and the
bill, as amended, shall be considered as an original bill for the
purpose of further amendment under the 5-minute rule and shall be
considered as read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:
Mr. COLE. Madam Chair, the United States boasts many natural wonders
and resources, and the bill before us broadly supports our Nation's
rich natural and cultural heritage.
The basis of this year's Interior and Environment appropriations bill
is good stewardship. We thoughtfully manage our public lands and
conservation efforts, and direct fiscal resources where they are needed
most. With one-fifth of the land in the United States under the purview
of agencies within this legislation, responsible governance is
critical.
As the first Native American to chair this Committee, I am proud that
this measure continues to uphold our sacred obligations to Tribal
communities. The bill provides critical increases for tribal programs,
including those covering tribal justice, the Bureau of Indian
Education, and the Indian Health Service. Delivering on our trust and
treaty commitments is of crucial importance to my home state of
Oklahoma and to all people of Indian Country.
We also implement vital investments to support wildfire response and
our federal wildland firefighters. A permanent pay fix for these
emergency responders ensures needed certainty for those protecting our
communities.
Importantly, the bill also reins in the Biden Administration's
overreach, ensuring that misguided Green New Deal-style rules and
regulations cannot be implemented. We take important steps to reverse
misguided policies that have made us more reliant on foreign energy and
resources. House Republications know that strong domestic production
supports our national security and American jobs.
All in all, there is much to champion in today's measure. I thank
Chairman Simpson for his hard work in producing this bill, and I urge
all members to support it.

H.R. 8998

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That the following sums are appropriated, out of any money
in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the
Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for other
purposes, namely:

TITLE I

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

management of lands and resources

For necessary expenses for protection, use, improvement,
development, disposal, cadastral surveying, classification,
acquisition of easements and other interests in lands, and
performance of other functions, including maintenance of
facilities, as authorized by law, in the management of lands
and their resources under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of
Land Management, including the general administration of the
Bureau, and assessment of mineral potential of public lands
pursuant to section 1010(a) of Public Law 96-487 (16 U.S.C.
3150(a)), $1,185,063,000, to remain available until September
30, 2026; of which $53,900,000 for annual maintenance and
deferred maintenance programs and $143,000,000 for the wild
horse and burro program, as authorized by Public Law 92-195
(16 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.), shall remain available until
expended: Provided, That amounts in the fee account of the
BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund may be used for any
bureau-related expenses associated with the processing of oil
and gas applications for permits to drill and related use of
authorizations: Provided further, That of the amounts made
available under this heading, up to $1,000,000 may be made
available for the purposes described in section 122(e)(1)(A)
of division G of Public Law 115-31 (43 U.S.C.
1748c(e)(1)(A)): Provided further, That of the amounts made
available under this heading, not to exceed $15,000 may be
for official reception and representation expenses.
In addition, $42,696,000 is for Mining Law Administration
program operations, including the cost of administering the
mining claim fee program, to remain available until expended,
to be reduced by amounts collected by the Bureau and credited
to this appropriation from mining claim maintenance fees and
location fees that are hereby authorized for fiscal year
2025, so as to result in a final appropriation estimated at
not more than $1,185,063,000, and $2,000,000, to remain
available until expended, from communication site rental fees
established by the Bureau for the cost of administering
communication site activities.

oregon and california grant lands

For expenses necessary for management, protection, and
development of resources and for construction, operation, and
maintenance of access roads, reforestation, and other
improvements on the revested Oregon and California Railroad
grant lands, on other Federal lands in the Oregon and
California land-grant counties of Oregon, and on adjacent
rights-of-way; and acquisition of lands or interests therein,
including existing connecting roads on or adjacent to such
grant lands; $107,799,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That 25 percent

[[Page H4802]]

of the aggregate of all receipts during the current fiscal
year from the revested Oregon and California Railroad grant
lands is hereby made a charge against the Oregon and
California land-grant fund and shall be transferred to the
General Fund in the Treasury in accordance with the second
paragraph of subsection (b) of title II of the Act of August
28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 2605).

range improvements

For rehabilitation, protection, and acquisition of lands
and interests therein, and improvement of Federal rangelands
pursuant to section 401 of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1751), notwithstanding any
other Act, sums equal to 50 percent of all moneys received
during the prior fiscal year under sections 3 and 15 of the
Taylor Grazing Act (43 U.S.C. 315b, 315m) and the amount
designated for range improvements from grazing fees and
mineral leasing receipts from Bankhead-Jones lands
transferred to the Department of the Interior pursuant to
law, but not less than $10,000,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That not to exceed $600,000 shall be
available for administrative expenses.

service charges, deposits, and forfeitures

For administrative expenses and other costs related to
processing application documents and other authorizations for
use and disposal of public lands and resources, for costs of
providing copies of official public land documents, for
monitoring construction, operation, and termination of
facilities in conjunction with use authorizations, and for
rehabilitation of damaged property, such amounts as may be
collected under Public Law 94-579 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.),
and under section 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C.
185), to remain available until expended: Provided, That
notwithstanding any provision to the contrary of section
305(a) of Public Law 94-579 (43 U.S.C. 1735(a)), any moneys
that have been or will be received pursuant to that section,
whether as a result of forfeiture, compromise, or settlement,
if not appropriate for refund pursuant to section 305(c) of
that Act (43 U.S.C. 1735(c)), shall be available and may be
expended under the authority of this Act by the Secretary of
the Interior to improve, protect, or rehabilitate any public
lands administered through the Bureau of Land Management
which have been damaged by the action of a resource
developer, purchaser, permittee, or any unauthorized person,
without regard to whether all moneys collected from each such
action are used on the exact lands damaged which led to the
action: Provided further, That any such moneys that are in
excess of amounts needed to repair damage to the exact land
for which funds were collected may be used to repair other
damaged public lands.

miscellaneous trust funds

In addition to amounts authorized to be expended under
existing laws, there is hereby appropriated such amounts as
may be contributed under section 307 of Public Law 94-579 (43
U.S.C. 1737), and such amounts as may be advanced for
administrative costs, surveys, appraisals, and costs of
making conveyances of omitted lands under section 211(b) of
that Act (43 U.S.C. 1721(b)), to remain available until
expended.

administrative provisions

The Bureau of Land Management may carry out the operations
funded under this Act by direct expenditure, contracts,
grants, cooperative agreements, and reimbursable agreements
with public and private entities, including with States.
Appropriations for the Bureau shall be available for
purchase, erection, and dismantlement of temporary
structures, and alteration and maintenance of necessary
buildings and appurtenant facilities to which the United
States has title; up to $100,000 for payments, at the
discretion of the Secretary, for information or evidence
concerning violations of laws administered by the Bureau;
miscellaneous and emergency expenses of enforcement
activities authorized or approved by the Secretary and to be
accounted for solely on the Secretary's certificate, not to
exceed $10,000: Provided, That notwithstanding Public Law
90-620 (44 U.S.C. 501), the Bureau may, under cooperative
cost-sharing and partnership arrangements authorized by law,
procure printing services from cooperators in connection with
jointly produced publications for which the cooperators share
the cost of printing either in cash or in services, and the
Bureau determines the cooperator is capable of meeting
accepted quality standards: Provided further, That projects
to be funded pursuant to a written commitment by a State
government to provide an identified amount of money in
support of the project may be carried out by the Bureau on a
reimbursable basis.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

resource management

For necessary expenses of the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service, as authorized by law, and for scientific
and economic studies, general administration, and for the
performance of other authorized functions related to such
resources, $1,385,096,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2026, of which not to exceed $15,000 may be for
official reception and representation expenses: Provided,
That not to exceed $17,597,000 shall be used for implementing
subsections (a), (b), (c), and (e) of section 4 of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533) (except for
processing petitions, developing and issuing proposed and
final regulations, and taking any other steps to implement
actions described in subsection (c)(2)(A), (c)(2)(B)(i), or
(c)(2)(B)(ii) of such section).

construction

For construction, improvement, acquisition, or removal of
buildings and other facilities required in the conservation,
management, investigation, protection, and utilization of
fish and wildlife resources, and the acquisition of lands and
interests therein; $8,114,000, to remain available until
expended.

cooperative endangered species conservation fund

For expenses necessary to carry out section 6 of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1535), $23,000,000,
to remain available until expended, to be derived from the
Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund.

national wildlife refuge fund

For expenses necessary to implement the Act of October 17,
1978 (16 U.S.C. 715s), $13,228,000.

north american wetlands conservation fund

For expenses necessary to carry out the provisions of the
North American Wetlands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4401 et
seq.), $49,000,000, to remain available until expended.

neotropical migratory bird conservation

For expenses necessary to carry out the Neotropical
Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.),
$5,000,000, to remain available until expended.

multinational species conservation fund

For expenses necessary to carry out the African Elephant
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4201 et seq.), the Asian Elephant
Conservation Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 4261 et seq.), the
Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 5301
et seq.), the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C.
6301 et seq.), and the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004
(16 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.), $21,000,000, to remain available
until expended.

state and tribal wildlife grants

For wildlife conservation grants to States and to the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States
Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa,
and Indian Tribes under the provisions of the Fish and
Wildlife Act of 1956 and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination
Act, for the development and implementation of programs for
the benefit of wildlife and their habitat, including species
that are not hunted or fished, $73,812,000, to remain
available until expended: Provided, That of the amount
provided herein, $6,200,000 is for a competitive grant
program for Indian Tribes not subject to the remaining
provisions of this appropriation: Provided further, That
$7,612,000 is for a competitive grant program to implement
approved plans for States, territories, and other
jurisdictions and at the discretion of affected States, the
regional Associations of fish and wildlife agencies, not
subject to the remaining provisions of this appropriation:
Provided further, That the Secretary shall, after deducting
$13,812,000 and administrative expenses, apportion the amount
provided herein in the following manner: (1) to the District
of Columbia and to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, each a
sum equal to not more than one-half of 1 percent thereof; and
(2) to Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin
Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, each a sum equal to not more than one-fourth of 1
percent thereof: Provided further, That the Secretary of the
Interior shall apportion the remaining amount in the
following manner: (1) one-third of which is based on the
ratio to which the land area of such State bears to the total
land area of all such States; and (2) two-thirds of which is
based on the ratio to which the population of such State
bears to the total population of all such States: Provided
further, That the amounts apportioned under this paragraph
shall be adjusted equitably so that no State shall be
apportioned a sum which is less than 1 percent of the amount
available for apportionment under this paragraph for any
fiscal year or more than 5 percent of such amount: Provided
further, That the Federal share of planning grants shall not
exceed 75 percent of the total costs of such projects and the
Federal share of implementation grants shall not exceed 65
percent of the total costs of such projects: Provided
further, That the non-Federal share of such projects may not
be derived from Federal grant programs: Provided further,
That any amount apportioned in 2025 to any State, territory,
or other jurisdiction that remains unobligated as of
September 30, 2026, shall be reapportioned, together with
funds appropriated in 2027, in the manner provided herein.

administrative provisions

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service may carry out
the operations of Service programs by direct expenditure,
contracts, grants, cooperative agreements and reimbursable
agreements with public and private entities. Appropriations
and funds available to the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service shall be available for repair of damage to public
roads within and adjacent to reservation areas caused by
operations of the Service; options for the purchase of land
at not to exceed one dollar for each option; facilities
incident to such public recreational uses on conservation
areas as are consistent with their primary purpose; and the
maintenance and improvement of aquaria, buildings, and other
facilities under the jurisdiction of the Service and to which
the United States has title, and which are used pursuant to
law in connection with management, and investigation of fish
and wildlife resources: Provided, That notwithstanding 44
U.S.C. 501, the Service may, under cooperative cost sharing
and partnership arrangements authorized by law, procure
printing services from cooperators in connection with jointly
produced publications for which the cooperators share at
least one-half the cost of printing either in cash or
services and the Service determines the cooperator is capable
of meeting accepted quality standards: Provided further,
That the Service may accept donated aircraft as replacements
for existing aircraft: Provided further, That
notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, all fees collected for

[[Page H4803]]

non-toxic shot review and approval shall be deposited under
the heading ``United States Fish and Wildlife Service--
Resource Management'' and shall be available to the
Secretary, without further appropriation, to be used for
expenses of processing of such non-toxic shot type or coating
applications and revising regulations as necessary, and shall
remain available until expended.

National Park Service

operation of the national park system

For expenses necessary for the management, operation, and
maintenance of areas and facilities administered by the
National Park Service and for the general administration of
the National Park Service, $2,709,203,000, of which
$11,661,000 for planning and interagency coordination in
support of Everglades restoration and $15,000,000 for uses
authorized by section 101122 of title 54, United States Code
shall remain available until September 30, 2026, and not to
exceed $15,000 may be for official reception and
representative expenses: Provided, That funds appropriated
under this heading in this Act are available for the purposes
of section 5 of Public Law 95-348: Provided further, That
notwithstanding section 9 of the 400 Years of African-
American History Commission Act (36 U.S.C. note prec. 101;
Public Law 115-102), $3,300,000 of the funds provided under
this heading shall be made available for the purposes
specified by that Act: Provided further, That sections 7(b)
and 8(a) of that Act is amended by striking ``July 1, 2025''
and inserting ``July 1, 2026''.
In addition, for purposes described in section 2404 of
Public Law 116-9, an amount equal to the amount deposited in
this fiscal year into the National Park Medical Services Fund
established pursuant to such section of such Act, to remain
available until expended, shall be derived from such Fund.

national recreation and preservation

For expenses necessary to carry out recreation programs,
natural programs, cultural programs, heritage partnership
programs, environmental compliance and review, international
park affairs, and grant administration, not otherwise
provided for, $89,593,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2026.

historic preservation fund

For expenses necessary in carrying out the National
Historic Preservation Act (division A of subtitle III of
title 54, United States Code), $168,900,000, to be derived
from the Historic Preservation Fund and to remain available
until September 30, 2026, of which $25,500,000 shall be for
Save America's Treasures grants for preservation of
nationally significant sites, structures and artifacts as
authorized by section 7303 of the Omnibus Public Land
Management Act of 2009 (54 U.S.C. 3089): Provided, That an
individual Save America's Treasures grant shall be matched by
non-Federal funds: Provided further, That individual
projects shall only be eligible for one grant: Provided
further, That all projects to be funded shall be approved by
the Secretary of the Interior in consultation with the House
and Senate Committees on Appropriations: Provided further,
That of the funds provided for the Historic Preservation
Fund, $30,250,000 is for the Competitive Grants Subactivity;
$11,000,000 is for grants to Historically Black Colleges and
Universities; $10,000,000 is for competitive grants for the
restoration of historic properties of national, State, and
local significance listed on or eligible for inclusion on the
National Register of Historic Places, to be made without
imposing the usage or direct grant restrictions of section
101(e)(3) (54 U.S.C. 302904) of the National Historic
Preservation Act; $7,000,000 is for a competitive grant
program to honor the semiquincentennial anniversary of the
United States by restoring and preserving sites and
structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places
that commemorate the founding of the nation: Provided
further, That such competitive grants shall be made without
imposing the matching requirements in section 302902(b)(3) of
title 54, United States Code to States and Indian Tribes as
defined in chapter 3003 of such title, Native Hawaiian
organizations, local governments, including Certified Local
Governments, and nonprofit organizations.

construction

For construction, improvements, repair, or replacement of
physical facilities, and related equipment, and compliance
and planning for programs and areas administered by the
National Park Service, $135,616,000, to remain available
until expended: Provided, That notwithstanding any other
provision of law, for any project initially funded in fiscal
year 2025 with a future phase indicated in the National Park
Service 5-Year Line Item Construction Plan, a single
procurement may be issued which includes the full scope of
the project: Provided further, That the solicitation and
contract shall contain the clause availability of funds found
at 48 CFR 52.232-18: Provided further, That National Park
Service Donations, Park Concessions Franchise Fees, and
Recreation Fees may be made available for the cost of
adjustments and changes within the original scope of effort
for projects funded by the National Park Service Construction
appropriation: Provided further, That the Secretary of the
Interior shall consult with the Committees on Appropriations,
in accordance with current reprogramming thresholds, prior to
making any charges authorized under this heading.

centennial challenge

For expenses necessary to carry out the provisions of
section 101701 of title 54, United States Code, relating to
challenge cost share agreements, $12,000,000, to remain
available until expended, for Centennial Challenge projects
and programs: Provided, That not less than 50 percent of the
total cost of each project or program shall be derived from
non-Federal sources in the form of donated cash, assets, or a
pledge of donation guaranteed by an irrevocable letter of
credit.

administrative provisions

(including transfer of funds)

In addition to other uses set forth in section 101917(c)(2)
of title 54, United States Code, franchise fees credited to a
sub-account shall be available for expenditure by the
Secretary, without further appropriation, for use at any unit
within the National Park System to extinguish or reduce
liability for Possessory Interest or leasehold surrender
interest. Such funds may only be used for this purpose to the
extent that the benefitting unit anticipated franchise fee
receipts over the term of the contract at that unit exceed
the amount of funds used to extinguish or reduce liability.
Franchise fees at the benefitting unit shall be credited to
the sub-account of the originating unit over a period not to
exceed the term of a single contract at the benefitting unit,
in the amount of funds so expended to extinguish or reduce
liability.
For the costs of administration of the Land and Water
Conservation Fund grants authorized by section 105(a)(2)(B)
of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (Public Law
109-432), the National Park Service may retain up to 3
percent of the amounts which are authorized to be disbursed
under such section, such retained amounts to remain available
until expended.
National Park Service funds may be transferred to the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of
Transportation, for purposes authorized under 23 U.S.C. 203.
Transfers may include a reasonable amount for FHWA
administrative support costs.

United States Geological Survey

surveys, investigations, and research

For expenses necessary for the United States Geological
Survey to perform surveys, investigations, and research
covering topography, geology, hydrology, biology, and the
mineral and water resources of the United States, its
territories and possessions, and other areas as authorized by
43 U.S.C. 31, 1332, and 1340; classify lands as to their
mineral and water resources; give engineering supervision to
power permittees and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
licensees; administer the minerals exploration program (30
U.S.C. 641); conduct inquiries into the economic conditions
affecting mining and materials processing industries (30
U.S.C. 3, 21a, and 1603; 50 U.S.C. 98g(a)(1)) and related
purposes as authorized by law; and to publish and disseminate
data relative to the foregoing activities; $1,374,385,000, to
remain available until September 30, 2026; of which
$107,334,000 shall remain available until expended for
satellite operations; and of which $54,130,000 shall be
available until expended for deferred maintenance and capital
improvement projects that exceed $100,000 in cost: Provided,
That none of the funds provided for the ecosystem research
activity shall be used to conduct new surveys on private
property, unless specifically authorized in writing by the
property owner: Provided further, That no part of this
appropriation shall be used to pay more than one-half the
cost of topographic mapping or water resources data
collection and investigations carried on in cooperation with
States and municipalities: Provided further, That of the
amount appropriated under this heading, not to exceed $15,000
may be for official reception and representation expenses.

administrative provisions

From within the amount appropriated for activities of the
United States Geological Survey such sums as are necessary
shall be available for contracting for the furnishing of
topographic maps and for the making of geophysical or other
specialized surveys when it is administratively determined
that such procedures are in the public interest; construction
and maintenance of necessary buildings and appurtenant
facilities; acquisition of lands for gauging stations,
observation wells, and seismic equipment; expenses of the
United States National Committee for Geological Sciences; and
payment of compensation and expenses of persons employed by
the Survey duly appointed to represent the United States in
the negotiation and administration of interstate compacts:
Provided, That activities funded by appropriations herein
made may be accomplished through the use of contracts,
grants, or cooperative agreements (including noncompetitive
cooperative agreements with Tribes) as defined in section
6302 of title 31, United States Code: Provided further, That
the United States Geological Survey may enter into contracts
or cooperative agreements directly with individuals or
indirectly with institutions or nonprofit organizations,
without regard to 41 U.S.C. 6101, for the temporary or
intermittent services of students or recent graduates, who
shall be considered employees for the purpose of chapters 57
and 81 of title 5, United States Code, relating to
compensation for travel and work injuries, and chapter 171 of
title 28, United States Code, relating to tort claims, but
shall not be considered to be Federal employees for any other
purposes.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

ocean energy management

For expenses necessary for granting and administering
leases, easements, rights-of-way, and agreements for use for
oil and gas, other minerals, energy, and marine-related
purposes on the Outer Continental Shelf and approving
operations related thereto, as authorized by law; for
environmental studies, as authorized by law; for implementing
other laws and to the extent provided by Presidential or
Secretarial delegation; and for matching grants or
cooperative agreements, $199,057,000, of which $144,057,000
is to remain available until September 30, 2026, and of which
$55,000,000 is to remain available until expended: Provided,
That this total appropriation shall be reduced by amounts
collected

[[Page H4804]]

by the Secretary of the Interior and credited to this
appropriation from additions to receipts resulting from
increases to lease rental rates in effect on August 5, 1993,
and from cost recovery fees from activities conducted by the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management pursuant to the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act, including studies, assessments,
analysis, and miscellaneous administrative activities:
Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated shall be
reduced as such collections are received during the fiscal
year, so as to result in a final fiscal year 2025
appropriation estimated at not more than $144,057,000:
Provided further, That not to exceed $3,000 shall be
available for reasonable expenses related to promoting
volunteer beach and marine cleanup activities: Provided
further, That not to exceed $5,000 shall be available for
official reception and representation expenses.

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

offshore safety and environmental enforcement

For expenses necessary for the regulation of operations
related to leases, easements, rights-of-way, and agreements
for use for oil and gas, other minerals, energy, and marine-
related purposes on the Outer Continental Shelf, as
authorized by law; for enforcing and implementing laws and
regulations as authorized by law and to the extent provided
by Presidential or Secretarial delegation; and for matching
grants or cooperative agreements, $168,330,000, of which
$138,450,000, including not to exceed $3,000 for official
reception and representation expenses, is to remain available
until September 30, 2026, and of which $29,880,000 is to
remain available until expended, including $2,880,000 for
offshore decommissioning activities: Provided, That this
total appropriation shall be reduced by amounts collected by
the Secretary of the Interior and credited to this
appropriation from additions to receipts resulting from
increases to lease rental rates in effect on August 5, 1993,
and from cost recovery fees from activities conducted by the
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement pursuant to
the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, including studies,
assessments, analysis, and miscellaneous administrative
activities: Provided further, That the sum herein
appropriated shall be reduced as such collections are
received during the fiscal year, so as to result in a final
fiscal year 2025 appropriation estimated at not more than
$141,330,000.
For an additional amount, $37,000,000, to remain available
until expended, to be reduced by amounts collected by the
Secretary and credited to this appropriation, which shall be
derived from non-refundable inspection fees collected in
fiscal year 2025, as provided in this Act: Provided further,
That for fiscal year 2025, not less than 50 percent of the
inspection fees expended by the Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement will be used to fund personnel and
mission-related costs to expand capacity and expedite the
orderly development, subject to environmental safeguards, of
the Outer Continental Shelf pursuant to the Outer Continental
Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.), including the
review of applications for permits to drill.

oil spill research

For necessary expenses to carry out title I, section 1016;
title IV, sections 4202 and 4303; title VII; and title VIII,
section 8201 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, $15,099,000,
which shall be derived from the Oil Spill Liability Trust
Fund, to remain available until expended.

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

regulation and technology

For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of the
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, Public
Law 95-87, $119,786,000, to remain available until September
30, 2026, of which $66,000,000 shall be available for State
and Tribal regulatory grants, and of which not to exceed
$5,000 may be for official reception and representation
expenses: Provided, That appropriations for the Office of
Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement may provide for
the travel and per diem expenses of State and Tribal
personnel attending Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement sponsored training.
In addition, for costs to review, administer, and enforce
permits issued by the Office pursuant to section 507 of
Public Law 95-87 (30 U.S.C. 1257), $40,000, to remain
available until expended: Provided, That fees assessed and
collected by the Office pursuant to such section 507 shall be
credited to this account as discretionary offsetting
collections, to remain available until expended: Provided
further, That the sum herein appropriated from the general
fund shall be reduced as collections are received during the
fiscal year, so as to result in a fiscal year 2025
appropriation estimated at not more than $119,786,000.

abandoned mine reclamation fund

For necessary expenses to carry out title IV of the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, Public Law 95-87,
$33,231,000, to be derived from receipts of the Abandoned
Mine Reclamation Fund and to remain available until expended:
Provided, That pursuant to Public Law 97-365, the Department
of the Interior is authorized to use up to 20 percent from
the recovery of the delinquent debt owed to the United States
Government to pay for contracts to collect these debts:
Provided further, That funds made available under title IV of
Public Law 95-87 may be used for any required non-Federal
share of the cost of projects funded by the Federal
Government for the purpose of environmental restoration
related to treatment or abatement of acid mine drainage from
abandoned mines: Provided further, That such projects must
be consistent with the purposes and priorities of the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act: Provided further, That
amounts provided under this heading may be used for the
travel and per diem expenses of State and Tribal personnel
attending Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement sponsored training: Provided further, That of
the amounts provided under this heading, not to exceed $5,000
shall be available for official reception and representation
expenses.
In addition, $135,000,000, to remain available until
expended, for payments to States and federally recognized
Indian Tribes for reclamation of abandoned mine lands and
other related activities in accordance with the terms and
conditions described in the report accompanying this Act:
Provided, That such additional amount shall be used for
economic and community development in conjunction with the
priorities described in section 403(a) of the Surface Mining
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1233(a)):
Provided further, That of such additional amount, $88,850,000
shall be distributed in equal amounts to the three
Appalachian States with the greatest amount of unfunded needs
to meet the priorities described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
such section, $34,400,000 shall be distributed in equal
amounts to the three Appalachian States with the subsequent
greatest amount of unfunded needs to meet such priorities,
and $11,750,000 shall be for grants to federally recognized
Indian Tribes, without regard to their status as certified or
uncertified under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation
Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1233(a)), for reclamation of abandoned
mine lands and other related activities in accordance with
the terms and conditions described in the report accompanying
this Act and shall be used for economic and community
development in conjunction with the priorities in section
403(a) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of
1977: Provided further, That such payments shall be made to
States and federally recognized Indian Tribes not later than
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act:
Provided further, That if payments have not been made by the
date specified in the preceding proviso, the amount
appropriated for salaries and expenses under the heading
``Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement''
shall be reduced by $100,000 per day until such payments have
been made.

Indian Affairs

Bureau of Indian Affairs

operation of indian programs

(including transfers of funds)

For expenses necessary for the operation of Indian
programs, as authorized by law, including the Snyder Act of
November 2, 1921 (25 U.S.C. 13) and the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 (25 U.S.C.
5301 et seq.), $2,189,150,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2026, except as otherwise provided herein; of
which not to exceed $15,000 may be for official reception and
representation expenses; of which not to exceed $79,494,000
shall be for welfare assistance payments: Provided, That in
cases of designated Federal disasters, the Secretary of the
Interior may exceed such cap for welfare payments from the
amounts provided herein, to provide for disaster relief to
Indian communities affected by the disaster: Provided
further, That federally recognized Indian Tribes and Tribal
organizations of federally recognized Indian Tribes may use
their Tribal priority allocations for unmet welfare
assistance costs: Provided further, That not to exceed
$75,987,000 shall remain available until expended for housing
improvement, road maintenance, land acquisition, attorney
fees, litigation support, land records improvement, hearings
and appeals, and the Navajo-Hopi Settlement Program:
Provided further, That any forestry funds allocated to a
federally recognized Tribe which remain unobligated as of
September 30, 2026, may be transferred during fiscal year
2027 to an Indian forest land assistance account established
for the benefit of the holder of the funds within the
holder's trust fund account: Provided further, That any such
unobligated balances not so transferred shall expire on
September 30, 2027: Provided further, That in order to
enhance the safety of Bureau field employees, the Bureau may
use funds to purchase uniforms or other identifying articles
of clothing for personnel: Provided further, That not to
exceed $7,664,000 of funds made available under this heading
may, as needed, be transferred to ``Office of the Secretary--
Departmental Operations'' for trust, probate, and
administrative functions: Provided further, That the Bureau
of Indian Affairs may accept transfers of funds from United
States Customs and Border Protection to supplement any other
funding available for reconstruction or repair of roads owned
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as identified on the National
Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory, 23 U.S.C.
202(b)(1).

contract support costs

For payments to Tribes and Tribal organizations for
contract support costs associated with Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act agreements with
the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian
Education for fiscal year 2025, such sums as may be
necessary, which shall be available for obligation through
September 30, 2026: Provided, That notwithstanding any other
provision of law, no amounts made available under this
heading shall be available for transfer to another budget
account.

payments for tribal leases

For payments to Tribes and Tribal organizations for leases
pursuant to section 105(l) of the Indian Self-Determination
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5324(l)) for fiscal
year 2025, such sums as may be necessary, which shall be
available for obligation through September 30, 2026:
Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, no
amounts made

[[Page H4805]]

available under this heading shall be available for transfer
to another budget account.

construction

(including transfer of funds)

For construction, repair, improvement, and maintenance of
irrigation and power systems, buildings, utilities, and other
facilities, including architectural and engineering services
by contract; acquisition of lands, and interests in lands;
and preparation of lands for farming, and for construction of
the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project pursuant to Public Law
87-483; $146,296,000, to remain available until expended:
Provided, That such amounts as may be available for the
construction of the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project may be
transferred to the Bureau of Reclamation: Provided further,
That any funds provided for the Safety of Dams program
pursuant to the Act of November 2, 1921 (25 U.S.C. 13), shall
be made available on a nonreimbursable basis: Provided
further, That this appropriation may be reimbursed from the
Bureau of Trust Funds Administration appropriation for the
appropriate share of construction costs for space expansion
needed in agency offices to meet trust reform implementation:
Provided further, That of the funds made available under
this heading, $10,000,000 shall be derived from the Indian
Irrigation Fund established by section 3211 of the WIIN Act
(Public Law 114-322; 130 Stat. 1749): Provided further, That
amounts provided under this heading are made available for
the modernization of Federal field communication
capabilities, in addition to amounts otherwise made available
for such purpose.

indian land and water claim settlements and miscellaneous payments to
indians

For payments and necessary administrative expenses for
implementation of Indian land and water claim settlements
pursuant to Public Laws 99-264, 101-618, and 117-349, and for
implementation of other land and water rights settlements,
$32,263,000, to remain available until expended.

indian guaranteed loan program account

For the cost of guaranteed loans and insured loans,
$20,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026, of
which $2,125,000 is for administrative expenses, as
authorized by the Indian Financing Act of 1974: Provided,
That such costs, including the cost of modifying such loans,
shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That these funds are
available to subsidize total loan principal, any part of
which is to be guaranteed or insured, not to exceed
$399,114,126.

Bureau of Indian Education

operation of indian education programs

For expenses necessary for the operation of Indian
education programs, as authorized by law, including the
Snyder Act of November 2, 1921 (25 U.S.C. 13), the Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 (25
U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), the Education Amendments of 1978 (25
U.S.C. 2001-2019), and the Tribally Controlled Schools Act of
1988 (25 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.), $1,198,216,000 to remain
available until September 30, 2026, except as otherwise
provided herein: Provided, That federally recognized Indian
Tribes and Tribal organizations of federally recognized
Indian Tribes may use their Tribal priority allocations for
unmet welfare assistance costs: Provided further, That not
to exceed $871,983,000 for school operations costs of Bureau-
funded schools and other education programs shall become
available on June 1, 2025, and shall remain available until
September 30, 2026: Provided further, That notwithstanding
any other provision of law, including but not limited to the
Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975 (25 U.S.C. 5301 et
seq.) and section 1128 of the Education Amendments of 1978
(25 U.S.C. 2008), not to exceed $96,886,000 within and only
from such amounts made available for school operations shall
be available for administrative cost grants associated with
grants approved prior to June 1, 2025: Provided further,
That in order to enhance the safety of Bureau field
employees, the Bureau may use funds to purchase uniforms or
other identifying articles of clothing for personnel.

education construction

For construction, repair, improvement, and maintenance of
buildings, utilities, and other facilities necessary for the
operation of Indian education programs, including
architectural and engineering services by contract;
acquisition of lands, and interests in lands; $270,867,000,
to remain available until expended: Provided, That in order
to ensure timely completion of construction projects, the
Secretary of the Interior may assume control of a project and
all funds related to the project, if, not later than 18
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, any
Public Law 100-297 (25 U.S.C. 2501, et seq.) grantee
receiving funds appropriated in this Act or in any prior Act,
has not completed the planning and design phase of the
project and commenced construction.

administrative provisions

The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian
Education may carry out the operation of Indian programs by
direct expenditure, contracts, cooperative agreements,
compacts, and grants, either directly or in cooperation with
States and other organizations.
Notwithstanding Public Law 87-279 (25 U.S.C. 15), the
Bureau of Indian Affairs may contract for services in support
of the management, operation, and maintenance of the Power
Division of the San Carlos Irrigation Project.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds
available to the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Bureau of
Indian Education for central office oversight and Executive
Direction and Administrative Services (except Executive
Direction and Administrative Services funding for Tribal
Priority Allocations, regional offices, and facilities
operations and maintenance) shall be available for contracts,
grants, compacts, or cooperative agreements with the Bureau
of Indian Affairs or the Bureau of Indian Education under the
provisions of the Indian Self-Determination Act or the Tribal
Self-Governance Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-413).
In the event any Tribe returns appropriations made
available by this Act to the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the
Bureau of Indian Education, this action shall not diminish
the Federal Government's trust responsibility to that Tribe,
or the government-to-government relationship between the
United States and that Tribe, or that Tribe's ability to
access future appropriations.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds
available to the Bureau of Indian Education, other than the
amounts provided herein for assistance to public schools
under 25 U.S.C. 452 et seq., shall be available to support
the operation of any elementary or secondary school in the
State of Alaska.
No funds available to the Bureau of Indian Education shall
be used to support expanded grades for any school or
dormitory beyond the grade structure in place or approved by
the Secretary of the Interior at each school in the Bureau of
Indian Education school system as of October 1, 1995, except
that the Secretary of the Interior may waive this prohibition
to support expansion of up to one additional grade when the
Secretary determines such waiver is needed to support
accomplishment of the mission of the Bureau of Indian
Education, or more than one grade to expand the elementary
grade structure for Bureau-funded schools with a K-2 grade
structure on October 1, 1996. Appropriations made available
in this or any prior Act for schools funded by the Bureau
shall be available, in accordance with the Bureau's funding
formula, only to the schools in the Bureau school system as
of September 1, 1996, and to any school or school program
that was reinstated in fiscal year 2012. Funds made available
under this Act may not be used to establish a charter school
at a Bureau-funded school (as that term is defined in section
1141 of the Education Amendments of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 2021)),
except that a charter school that is in existence on the date
of the enactment of this Act and that has operated at a
Bureau-funded school before September 1, 1999, may continue
to operate during that period, but only if the charter school
pays to the Bureau a pro rata share of funds to reimburse the
Bureau for the use of the real and personal property
(including buses and vans), the funds of the charter school
are kept separate and apart from Bureau funds, and the Bureau
does not assume any obligation for charter school programs of
the State in which the school is located if the charter
school loses such funding. Employees of Bureau-funded schools
sharing a campus with a charter school and performing
functions related to the charter school's operation and
employees of a charter school shall not be treated as Federal
employees for purposes of chapter 171 of title 28, United
States Code.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including
section 113 of title I of appendix C of Public Law 106-113,
if in fiscal year 2003 or 2004 a grantee received indirect
and administrative costs pursuant to a distribution formula
based on section 5(f) of Public Law 101-301, the Secretary
shall continue to distribute indirect and administrative cost
funds to such grantee using the section 5(f) distribution
formula.
Funds available under this Act may not be used to establish
satellite locations of schools in the Bureau school system as
of September 1, 1996, except that the Secretary may waive
this prohibition in order for an Indian Tribe to provide
language and cultural immersion educational programs for non-
public schools located within the jurisdictional area of the
Tribal government which exclusively serve Tribal members, do
not include grades beyond those currently served at the
existing Bureau-funded school, provide an educational
environment with educator presence and academic facilities
comparable to the Bureau-funded school, comply with all
applicable Tribal, Federal, or State health and safety
standards, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and
demonstrate the benefits of establishing operations at a
satellite location in lieu of incurring extraordinary costs,
such as for transportation or other impacts to students such
as those caused by busing students extended distances:
Provided, That no funds available under this Act may be used
to fund operations, maintenance, rehabilitation,
construction, or other facilities-related costs for such
assets that are not owned by the Bureau: Provided further,
That the term ``satellite school'' means a school location
physically separated from the existing Bureau school by more
than 50 miles but that forms part of the existing school in
all other respects.
Funds made available for Tribal Priority Allocations within
Operation of Indian Programs and Operation of Indian
Education Programs may be used to execute requested
adjustments in Tribal priority allocations initiated by an
Indian Tribe.

Bureau of Trust Funds Administration

federal trust programs

(including transfer of funds)

For the operation of trust programs for Indians by direct
expenditure, contracts, cooperative agreements, compacts, and
grants, $105,277,000, to remain available until expended, of
which not to exceed $17,997,000 from this or any other Act,
may be available for settlement support: Provided, That
funds for trust management improvements and litigation
support may, as needed, be transferred to or merged with the
Bureau

[[Page H4806]]

of Indian Affairs, ``Operation of Indian Programs'' and
Bureau of Indian Education, ``Operation of Indian Education
Programs'' accounts; the Office of the Solicitor, ``Salaries
and Expenses'' account; and the Office of the Secretary,
``Departmental Operations'' account: Provided further, That
funds made available through contracts or grants obligated
during fiscal year 2025, as authorized by the Indian Self-
Determination Act of 1975 (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), shall
remain available until expended by the contractor or grantee:
Provided further, That notwithstanding any other provision
of law, the Secretary shall not be required to provide a
quarterly statement of performance for any Indian trust
account that has not had activity for at least 15 months and
has a balance of $15 or less: Provided further, That the
Secretary shall issue an annual account statement and
maintain a record of any such accounts and shall permit the
balance in each such account to be withdrawn upon the express
written request of the account holder: Provided further,
That not to exceed $100,000 is available for the Secretary to
make payments to correct administrative errors of either
disbursements from or deposits to Individual Indian Money or
Tribal accounts after September 30, 2002: Provided further,
That erroneous payments that are recovered shall be credited
to and remain available in this account for this purpose:
Provided further, That the Secretary shall not be required to
reconcile Special Deposit Accounts with a balance of less
than $500 unless the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration
receives proof of ownership from a Special Deposit Accounts
claimant: Provided further, That notwithstanding section 102
of the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of
1994 (Public Law 103-412) or any other provision of law, the
Secretary may aggregate the trust accounts of individuals
whose whereabouts are unknown for a continuous period of at
least 5 years and shall not be required to generate periodic
statements of performance for the individual accounts:
Provided further, That with respect to the preceding proviso,
the Secretary shall continue to maintain sufficient records
to determine the balance of the individual accounts,
including any accrued interest and income, and such funds
shall remain available to the individual account holders.

Departmental Offices

Office of the Secretary

departmental operations

(including transfer of funds)

For necessary expenses for management of the Department of
the Interior and for grants and cooperative agreements, as
authorized by law, $102,292,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2026; of which not to exceed $15,000 may be for
official reception and representation expenses; of which up
to $1,000,000 shall be available for workers compensation
payments and unemployment compensation payments associated
with the orderly closure of the United States Bureau of
Mines; and of which $14,295,000 for Indian land, mineral, and
resource valuation activities shall remain available until
expended: Provided, That funds for Indian land, mineral, and
resource valuation activities may, as needed, be transferred
to and merged with the Bureau of Indian Affairs ``Operation
of Indian Programs'' and Bureau of Indian Education
``Operation of Indian Education Programs'' accounts and the
Bureau of Trust Funds Administration ``Federal Trust
Programs'' account: Provided further, That funds made
available through contracts or grants obligated during fiscal
year 2025, as authorized by the Indian Self-Determination Act
of 1975 (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), shall remain available
until expended by the contractor or grantee.

administrative provisions

For fiscal year 2025, up to $550,000 of the payments
authorized by chapter 69 of title 31, United States Code, may
be retained for administrative expenses of the Payments in
Lieu of Taxes Program: Provided, That the amounts provided
under this Act specifically for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes
program are the only amounts available for payments
authorized under chapter 69 of title 31, United States Code:
Provided further, That in the event the sums appropriated for
any fiscal year for payments pursuant to this chapter are
insufficient to make the full payments authorized by that
chapter to all units of local government, then the payment to
each local government shall be made proportionally: Provided
further, That the Secretary may make adjustments to payment
to individual units of local government to correct for prior
overpayments or underpayments: Provided further, That no
payment shall be made pursuant to that chapter to otherwise
eligible units of local government if the computed amount of
the payment is less than $100.

Insular Affairs

assistance to territories

For expenses necessary for assistance to territories under
the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior,
$118,689,000, of which: (1) $107,220,000 shall remain
available until expended for territorial assistance,
including general technical assistance, maintenance
assistance, disaster assistance, coral reef initiative and
natural resources activities, and brown tree snake control
and research; grants to the judiciary in American Samoa for
compensation and expenses, as authorized by law (48 U.S.C.
1661(c)); grants to the Government of American Samoa, in
addition to current local revenues, for construction and
support of governmental functions; grants to the Government
of the Virgin Islands, as authorized by law; grants to the
Government of Guam, as authorized by law; and grants to the
Government of the Northern Mariana Islands, as authorized by
law (Public Law 94-241; 90 Stat. 272); and (2) $11,469,000
shall be available until September 30, 2026, for salaries and
expenses of the Office of Insular Affairs: Provided, That
all financial transactions of the territorial and local
governments herein provided for, including such transactions
of all agencies or instrumentalities established or used by
such governments, may be audited by the Government
Accountability Office, at its discretion, in accordance with
chapter 35 of title 31, United States Code: Provided
further, That Northern Mariana Islands Covenant grant funding
shall be provided according to those terms of the Agreement
of the Special Representatives on Future United States
Financial Assistance for the Northern Mariana Islands
approved by Public Law 104-134: Provided further, That the
funds for the program of operations and maintenance
improvement are appropriated to institutionalize routine
operations and maintenance improvement of capital
infrastructure with territorial participation and cost
sharing to be determined by the Secretary based on the
grantee's commitment to timely maintenance of its capital
assets: Provided further, That any appropriation for
disaster assistance under this heading in this Act or
previous appropriations Acts may be used as non-Federal
matching funds for the purpose of hazard mitigation grants
provided pursuant to section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
5170c).

compact of free association

For grants and necessary expenses, $813,000, to remain
available until expended, to support Federal services and
programs provided to the Republic of Palau, the Republic of
the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Administrative Provisions

(including transfer of funds)

At the request of the Governor of Guam, the Secretary may
transfer discretionary funds or mandatory funds provided
under section 104(e) of Public Law 108-188 and Public Law
104-134, that are allocated for Guam, to the Secretary of
Agriculture for the subsidy cost of direct or guaranteed
loans, plus not to exceed three percent of the amount of the
subsidy transferred for the cost of loan administration, for
the purposes authorized by the Rural Electrification Act of
1936 and section 306(a)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act for construction and repair projects in Guam,
and such funds shall remain available until expended:
Provided, That such costs, including the cost of modifying
such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That
such loans or loan guarantees may be made without regard to
the population of the area, credit elsewhere requirements,
and restrictions on the types of eligible entities under the
Rural Electrification Act of 1936 and section 306(a)(1) of
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act: Provided
further, That any funds transferred to the Secretary of
Agriculture shall be in addition to funds otherwise made
available to make or guarantee loans under such authorities.

Office of the Solicitor

salaries and expenses

For necessary expenses of the Office of the Solicitor,
$93,964,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026.

Office of Inspector General

salaries and expenses

For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General,
$68,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026.

Department-Wide Programs

wildland fire management

(including transfers of funds)

For necessary expenses for fire preparedness, fire
suppression operations, fire science and research, emergency
rehabilitation, fuels management activities, and rural fire
assistance by the Department of the Interior, $1,195,086,000,
to remain available until expended, of which not to exceed
$14,000,000 shall be for the renovation or construction of
fire facilities: Provided, That such funds are also
available for repayment of advances to other appropriation
accounts from which funds were previously transferred for
such purposes: Provided further, That of the funds provided
$255,000,000 is for fuels management activities: Provided
further, That of the funds provided $10,000,000 is for burned
area rehabilitation: Provided further, That persons hired
pursuant to 43 U.S.C. 1469 may be furnished subsistence and
lodging without cost from funds available from this
appropriation: Provided further, That notwithstanding 42
U.S.C. 1856d, sums received by a bureau or office of the
Department of the Interior for fire protection rendered
pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1856 et seq., protection of United
States property, may be credited to the appropriation from
which funds were expended to provide that protection, and are
available without fiscal year limitation: Provided further,
That using the amounts designated under this title of this
Act, the Secretary of the Interior may enter into procurement
contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements, for fuels
management activities, and for training and monitoring
associated with such fuels management activities on Federal
land, or on adjacent non-Federal land for activities that
benefit resources on Federal land: Provided further, That
the costs of implementing any cooperative agreement between
the Federal Government and any non-Federal entity may be
shared, as mutually agreed on by the affected parties:
Provided further, That notwithstanding requirements of the
Competition in Contracting Act, the Secretary, for purposes
of fuels management activities, may obtain maximum
practicable competition among: (1) local private, nonprofit,
or cooperative entities; (2) Youth Conservation Corps crews,
Public Lands Corps (Public Law 109-154), or related
partnerships

[[Page H4807]]

with State, local, or nonprofit youth groups; (3) small or
micro-businesses; or (4) other entities that will hire or
train locally a significant percentage, defined as 50 percent
or more, of the project workforce to complete such contracts:
Provided further, That in implementing this section, the
Secretary shall develop written guidance to field units to
ensure accountability and consistent application of the
authorities provided herein: Provided further, That funds
appropriated under this heading may be used to reimburse the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National
Marine Fisheries Service for the costs of carrying out their
responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) to consult and conference, as required
by section 7 of such Act, in connection with wildland fire
management activities: Provided further, That the Secretary
of the Interior may use wildland fire appropriations to enter
into leases of real property with local governments, at or
below fair market value, to construct capitalized
improvements for fire facilities on such leased properties,
including but not limited to fire guard stations, retardant
stations, and other initial attack and fire support
facilities, and to make advance payments for any such lease
or for construction activity associated with the lease:
Provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture may authorize the transfer of funds
appropriated for wildland fire management, in an aggregate
amount not to exceed $50,000,000 between the Departments when
such transfers would facilitate and expedite wildland fire
management programs and projects: Provided further, That
funds provided for wildfire suppression shall be available
for support of Federal emergency response actions: Provided
further, That funds appropriated under this heading shall be
available for assistance to or through the Department of
State in connection with forest and rangeland research,
technical information, and assistance in foreign countries,
and, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall be
available to support forestry, wildland fire management, and
related natural resource activities outside the United States
and its territories and possessions, including technical
assistance, education and training, and cooperation with
United States and international organizations: Provided
further, That of the funds provided under this heading,
$383,657,000 shall be available for wildfire suppression
operations, and is provided to meet the terms of section
251(b)(2)(F)(ii)(I) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985.

wildfire suppression operations reserve fund

(including transfers of funds)

In addition to the amounts provided under the heading
``Department of the Interior--Department-Wide Programs--
Wildland Fire Management'' for wildfire suppression
operations, $360,000,000, to remain available until
transferred, is additional new budget authority as specified
for purposes of section 251(b)(2)(F) of the Balanced Budget
and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985: Provided, That
such amounts may be transferred to and merged with amounts
made available under the headings ``Department of
Agriculture--Forest Service--Wildland Fire Management'' and
``Department of the Interior--Department-Wide Programs--
Wildland Fire Management'' for wildfire suppression
operations in the fiscal year in which such amounts are
transferred: Provided further, That amounts may be
transferred to the ``Wildland Fire Management'' accounts in
the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the
Interior only upon the notification of the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations that all wildfire suppression
operations funds appropriated under that heading in this and
prior appropriations Acts to the agency to which the funds
will be transferred will be obligated within 30 days:
Provided further, That the transfer authority provided under
this heading is in addition to any other transfer authority
provided by law: Provided further, That in determining
whether all wildfire suppression operations funds
appropriated under the heading ``Wildland Fire Management''
in this and prior appropriations Acts to either the
Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior
will be obligated within 30 days pursuant to the preceding
proviso, any funds transferred or permitted to be transferred
pursuant to any other transfer authority provided by law
shall be excluded.

central hazardous materials fund

For necessary expenses of the Department of the Interior
and any of its component offices and bureaus for the response
action, including associated activities, performed pursuant
to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), $9,200,000, to
remain available until expended.

energy community revitalization program

(including transfers of funds)

For necessary expenses of the Department of the Interior to
inventory, assess, decommission, reclaim, respond to
hazardous substance releases, remediate lands pursuant to
section 40704 of Public Law 117-58 (30 U.S.C. 1245), and
carry out the purposes of section 349 of the Energy Policy
Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907), as amended, $5,000,000, to
remain available until expended: Provided, That such amount
shall be in addition to amounts otherwise available for such
purposes: Provided further, That amounts appropriated under
this heading are available for program management and
oversight of these activities: Provided further, That the
Secretary may transfer the funds provided under this heading
in this Act to any other account in the Department to carry
out such purposes, and may expend such funds directly, or
through grants: Provided further, That these amounts are not
available to fulfill Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.)
obligations agreed to in settlement or imposed by a court,
whether for payment of funds or for work to be performed.

natural resource damage assessment and restoration

natural resource damage assessment fund

To conduct natural resource damage assessment, restoration
activities, and onshore oil spill preparedness by the
Department of the Interior necessary to carry out the
provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.),
the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), and
54 U.S.C. 100721 et seq., $7,715,000, to remain available
until expended.

working capital fund

For the operation and maintenance of a departmental
financial and business management system, data management,
information technology improvements of general benefit to the
Department, cybersecurity, and the consolidation of
facilities and operations throughout the Department,
$99,453,000, to remain available until expended: Provided,
That none of the funds appropriated in this Act or any other
Act may be used to establish reserves in the Working Capital
Fund account other than for accrued annual leave and
depreciation of equipment without prior approval of the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
and the Senate: Provided further, That the Secretary of the
Interior may assess reasonable charges to State, local, and
Tribal government employees for training services provided by
the National Indian Program Training Center, other than
training related to Public Law 93-638: Provided further,
That the Secretary may lease or otherwise provide space and
related facilities, equipment, or professional services of
the National Indian Program Training Center to State, local
and Tribal government employees or persons or organizations
engaged in cultural, educational, or recreational activities
(as defined in section 3306(a) of title 40, United States
Code) at the prevailing rate for similar space, facilities,
equipment, or services in the vicinity of the National Indian
Program Training Center: Provided further, That all funds
received pursuant to the two preceding provisos shall be
credited to this account, shall be available until expended,
and shall be used by the Secretary for necessary expenses of
the National Indian Program Training Center: Provided
further, That the Secretary may enter into grants and
cooperative agreements to support the Office of Natural
Resource Revenue's collection and disbursement of royalties,
fees, and other mineral revenue proceeds, as authorized by
law.

administrative provision

There is hereby authorized for acquisition from available
resources within the Working Capital Fund, aircraft which may
be obtained by donation, purchase, or through available
excess surplus property: Provided, That existing aircraft
being replaced may be sold, with proceeds derived or trade-in
value used to offset the purchase price for the replacement
aircraft.

office of natural resources revenue

For necessary expenses for management of the collection and
disbursement of royalties, fees, and other mineral revenue
proceeds, and for grants and cooperative agreements, as
authorized by law, $160,446,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2026; of which $59,751,000 shall remain
available until expended for the purpose of mineral revenue
management activities: Provided, That notwithstanding any
other provision of law, $50,000 shall be available for
refunds of overpayments in connection with certain Indian
leases in which the Secretary of the Interior concurred with
the claimed refund due, to pay amounts owed to Indian
allottees or Tribes, or to correct prior unrecoverable
erroneous payments.

General Provisions, Department of the Interior

(including transfers of funds)

emergency transfer authority--intra-bureau

Sec. 101. Appropriations made in this title shall be
available for expenditure or transfer (within each bureau or
office), with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior,
for the emergency reconstruction, replacement, or repair of
aircraft, buildings, utilities, or other facilities or
equipment damaged or destroyed by fire, flood, storm, or
other unavoidable causes: Provided, That no funds shall be
made available under this authority until funds specifically
made available to the Department of the Interior for
emergencies shall have been exhausted: Provided further,
That all funds used pursuant to this section must be
replenished by a supplemental appropriation, which must be
requested as promptly as possible.

emergency transfer authority--department-wide

Sec. 102. The Secretary of the Interior may authorize the
expenditure or transfer of any no year appropriation in this
title, in addition to the amounts included in the budget
programs of the several agencies, for the suppression or
emergency prevention of wildland fires on or threatening
lands under the jurisdiction of the Department of the
Interior; for the emergency rehabilitation of burned-over
lands under its jurisdiction; for emergency actions related
to potential or actual earthquakes, floods, volcanoes,
storms, or other unavoidable causes; for contingency planning
subsequent to actual oil spills; for response and natural
resource damage assessment activities related to actual oil
spills or

[[Page H4808]]

releases of hazardous substances into the environment; for
the prevention, suppression, and control of actual or
potential grasshopper and Mormon cricket outbreaks on lands
under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, pursuant to the
authority in section 417(b) of Public Law 106-224 (7 U.S.C.
7717(b)); for emergency reclamation projects under section
410 of Public Law 95-87; and shall transfer, from any no year
funds available to the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement, such funds as may be necessary to permit
assumption of regulatory authority in the event a primacy
State is not carrying out the regulatory provisions of the
Surface Mining Act: Provided, That appropriations made in
this title for wildland fire operations shall be available
for the payment of obligations incurred during the preceding
fiscal year, and for reimbursement to other Federal agencies
for destruction of vehicles, aircraft, or other equipment in
connection with their use for wildland fire operations, with
such reimbursement to be credited to appropriations currently
available at the time of receipt thereof: Provided further,
That for wildland fire operations, no funds shall be made
available under this authority until the Secretary determines
that funds appropriated for ``wildland fire suppression''
shall be exhausted within 30 days: Provided further, That
all funds used pursuant to this section must be replenished
by a supplemental appropriation, which must be requested as
promptly as possible: Provided further, That such
replenishment funds shall be used to reimburse, on a pro rata
basis, accounts from which emergency funds were transferred.

authorized use of funds

Sec. 103. Appropriations made to the Department of the
Interior in this title shall be available for services as
authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code,
when authorized by the Secretary of the Interior, in total
amount not to exceed $500,000; purchase and replacement of
motor vehicles, including specially equipped law enforcement
vehicles; hire, maintenance, and operation of aircraft; hire
of passenger motor vehicles; purchase of reprints; payment
for telephone service in private residences in the field,
when authorized under regulations approved by the Secretary;
and the payment of dues, when authorized by the Secretary,
for library membership in societies or associations which
issue publications to members only or at a price to members
lower than to subscribers who are not members.

authorized use of funds, indian trust management

Sec. 104. Appropriations made in this Act under the
headings Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian
Education, and Bureau of Trust Funds Administration and any
unobligated balances from prior appropriations Acts made
under the same headings shall be available for expenditure or
transfer for Indian trust management and reform activities.
Total funding for settlement support activities shall not
exceed amounts specifically designated in this Act for such
purpose. The Secretary shall notify the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations within 60 days of the
expenditure or transfer of any funds under this section,
including the amount expended or transferred and how the
funds will be used.

redistribution of funds, bureau of indian affairs

Sec. 105. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary of the Interior is authorized to redistribute any
Tribal Priority Allocation funds, including Tribal base
funds, to alleviate Tribal funding inequities by transferring
funds to address identified, unmet needs, dual enrollment,
overlapping service areas or inaccurate distribution
methodologies. No Tribe shall receive a reduction in Tribal
Priority Allocation funds of more than 10 percent in fiscal
year 2025. Under circumstances of dual enrollment,
overlapping service areas or inaccurate distribution
methodologies, the 10 percent limitation does not apply.

outer continental shelf inspection fees

Sec. 106. (a) In fiscal year 2025, the Secretary of the
Interior shall collect a nonrefundable inspection fee, which
shall be deposited in the ``Offshore Safety and Environmental
Enforcement'' account, from the designated operator for
facilities subject to inspection under 43 U.S.C. 1348(c).
(b) Annual fees shall be collected for facilities that are
above the waterline, excluding drilling rigs, and are in
place at the start of the fiscal year. Fees for fiscal year
2025 shall be--
(1) $10,500 for facilities with no wells, but with
processing equipment or gathering lines;
(2) $17,000 for facilities with 1 to 10 wells, with any
combination of active or inactive wells; and
(3) $31,500 for facilities with more than 10 wells, with
any combination of active or inactive wells.
(c) Fees for drilling rigs shall be assessed for all
inspections completed in fiscal year 2025. Fees for fiscal
year 2025 shall be--
(1) $30,500 per inspection for rigs operating in water
depths of 500 feet or more; and
(2) $16,700 per inspection for rigs operating in water
depths of less than 500 feet.
(d) Fees for inspection of well operations conducted via
non-rig units as outlined in title 30 CFR 250 subparts D, E,
F, and Q shall be assessed for all inspections completed in
fiscal year 2025. Fees for fiscal year 2025 shall be--
(1) $13,260 per inspection for non-rig units operating in
water depths of 2,500 feet or more;
(2) $11,530 per inspection for non-rig units operating in
water depths between 500 and 2,499 feet; and
(3) $4,470 per inspection for non-rig units operating in
water depths of less than 500 feet.
(e) The Secretary shall bill designated operators under
subsection (b) quarterly, with payment required within 30
days of billing. The Secretary shall bill designated
operators under subsection (c) within 30 days of the end of
the month in which the inspection occurred, with payment
required within 30 days of billing. The Secretary shall bill
designated operators under subsection (d) with payment
required by the end of the following quarter.

contracts and agreements for wild horse and burro holding facilities

Sec. 107. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act,
the Secretary of the Interior may enter into multiyear
cooperative agreements with nonprofit organizations and other
appropriate entities, and may enter into multiyear contracts
in accordance with the provisions of section 3903 of title
41, United States Code (except that the 5-year term
restriction in subsection (a) shall not apply), for the long-
term care and maintenance of excess wild free roaming horses
and burros by such organizations or entities on private land.
Such cooperative agreements and contracts may not exceed 10
years, subject to renewal at the discretion of the Secretary.

mass marking of salmonids

Sec. 108. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service
shall, in carrying out its responsibilities to protect
threatened and endangered species of salmon, implement a
system of mass marking of salmonid stocks, intended for
harvest, that are released from federally operated or
federally financed hatcheries including but not limited to
fish releases of coho, chinook, and steelhead species. Marked
fish must have a visible mark that can be readily identified
by commercial and recreational fishers.

contracts and agreements with indian affairs

Sec. 109. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
during fiscal year 2025, in carrying out work involving
cooperation with State, local, and Tribal governments or any
political subdivision thereof, Indian Affairs may record
obligations against accounts receivable from any such
entities, except that total obligations at the end of the
fiscal year shall not exceed total budgetary resources
available at the end of the fiscal year.

department of the interior experienced services program

Sec. 110. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law
relating to Federal grants and cooperative agreements, the
Secretary of the Interior is authorized to make grants to, or
enter into cooperative agreements with, private nonprofit
organizations designated by the Secretary of Labor under
title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 to utilize the
talents of older Americans in programs authorized by other
provisions of law administered by the Secretary and
consistent with such provisions of law.
(b) Prior to awarding any grant or agreement under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that the agreement
would not--
(1) result in the displacement of individuals currently
employed by the Department, including partial displacement
through reduction of non-overtime hours, wages, or employment
benefits;
(2) result in the use of an individual under the Department
of the Interior Experienced Services Program for a job or
function in a case in which a Federal employee is in a layoff
status from the same or substantially equivalent job within
the Department; or
(3) affect existing contracts for services.

obligation of funds

Sec. 111. Amounts appropriated by this Act to the
Department of the Interior shall be available for obligation
and expenditure not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act.

separation of accounts

Sec. 112. The Secretary of the Interior, in order to
implement an orderly transition to separate accounts of the
Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education,
may transfer funds among and between the successor offices
and bureaus affected by the reorganization only in
conformance with the reprogramming guidelines described in
this Act.

payments in lieu of taxes (pilt)

Sec. 113. Section 6906 of title 31, United States Code,
shall be applied by substituting ``fiscal year 2025'' for
``fiscal year 2019''.

interagency motor pool

Sec. 114. Notwithstanding any other provision of law or
Federal regulation, federally recognized Indian Tribes or
authorized Tribal organizations that receive Tribally
Controlled School Grants pursuant to Public Law 100-297 may
obtain interagency motor vehicles and related services for
performance of any activities carried out under such grants
to the same extent as if they were contracting under the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.

appraiser pay authority

Sec. 115. For fiscal year 2025, funds made available in
this or any other Act or otherwise made available to the
Department of the Interior for the Appraisal and Valuation
Services Office may be used by the Secretary of the Interior
to establish higher minimum rates of basic pay for employees
of the Department of the Interior in the Appraiser (GS-1171)
job series at grades 11 through 15 carrying out appraisals of
real property and appraisal reviews conducted in support of
the Department's realty programs at rates no greater than 15
percent above the minimum rates of basic pay normally
scheduled, and such higher rates shall be consistent with
subsections (e) through (h) of section 5305 of title 5,
United States Code.

sage-grouse

Sec. 116. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used by the Secretary of the Interior,
pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C.
1533)--

[[Page H4809]]

(1) to write or issue a proposed or final rule with regard
to the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) or any
distinct population segment of greater sage-grouse; or
(2) to implement, administer, or enforce any threatened
species or endangered species status of the greater sage-
grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) or any distinct population
segment of greater sage-grouse.

sage-grouse habitat

Sec. 117. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to finalize, implement, administer, or
enforce the Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment or Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for Greater Sage-Grouse
Rangewide Planning referenced in the Notice titled ``Notice
of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan
Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement for Greater
Sage-Grouse Rangewide Planning'' (89 Fed. Reg. 18963 (March
15, 2024)).

state conservation grants

Sec. 118. For expenses necessary to carry out section
200305 of title 54, United States Code, the National Park
Service may retain up to 7 percent of the State Conservation
Grants program to provide to States, the District of
Columbia, and insular areas, as matching grants to support
state program administrative costs.

historic preservation fund deposits

Sec. 119. Section 303102 of title 54, United States Code,
shall be applied by substituting ``fiscal year 2025'' for
``fiscal year 2023''.

interior authority for operating efficiencies

Sec. 120. (a) In fiscal years 2025 and 2026, the Secretary
of the Interior may authorize and execute agreements to
achieve operating efficiencies among and between two or more
component bureaus and offices through the following
activities:
(1) co-locating in facilities leased or owned by any such
component bureau or office and sharing related utilities and
equipment;
(2) detailing or assigning staff on a non-reimbursable
basis for up to 5 business days; and
(3) sharing staff and equipment necessary to meet mission
requirements.
(b) The authority provided by subsection (a) shall be to
support areas of mission alignment between and among
component bureaus and offices or where geographic proximity
allows for efficiencies.
(c) Bureaus and offices entering into agreements authorized
under subsections (a)(1) and (a)(3) shall bear costs for such
agreements in a manner that reflects their approximate
benefit and share of total costs, which may or may not
include indirect costs.
(d) In furtherance of the requirement in subsection (c),
the Secretary of the Interior may make transfers of funds in
advance or on a reimbursable basis.

emergency law enforcement ceiling

Sec. 121. Section 103101 of title 54, United States Code,
is amended in subsection (c)(1) by striking ``$250,000'' and
inserting ``$500,000''.

contribution authority extension

Sec. 122. Section 113 of division G of Public Law 113-76,
as amended by Public Law 116-6, is further amended by
striking ``2024'' and inserting ``2029''.

period of availability

Sec. 123. Funds previously made available in the Further
Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief
Requirements Act, 2018 (Div. B of Public Law 115-123) for the
``National Park Service - Historic Preservation Fund'' that
were available for obligation through fiscal year 2019 are to
remain available through fiscal year 2026 for the liquidation
of valid obligations incurred during fiscal years 2018 and
2019: Provided, That amounts repurposed pursuant to this
section that were previously designated by the Congress as an
emergency requirement pursuant to the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 are designated as an
emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of
1985.

onshore wind project

Sec. 124. The final environmental impact statement for the
Lava Ridge Wind Project described in the notice of
availability issued by the Bureau of Land Management and
titled ``Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental
Impact Statement for the Proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project in
Jerome, Lincoln, and Minidoka Counties, ID'' (89 Fed. Reg.
48681 (June 7, 2024)) shall have no force or effect.

lead ammunition and tackle

Sec. 125. (a) None of the funds made available by this or
any other Act may be used to prohibit the use of lead
ammunition or tackle on Federal land or water that is made
available for hunting or fishing activities or to issue
regulations relating to the level of lead in ammunition or
tackle to be used on Federal land or water, unless--
(1) the Secretary of the Interior determines that a decline
in wildlife population on the specific unit of Federal land
or water is primarily caused by the use of lead in ammunition
or tackle, based on field data from the specific unit of
Federal land or water; and
(2) the prohibition or regulation, as applicable, is--
(A) consistent with--
(i) the law of the State in which the specific unit of
Federal land or water is located; or
(ii) an applicable policy of the fish and wildlife
department of the State in which the specific unit of Federal
land or water is located; or
(B) approved by the fish and wildlife department of the
State in which the specific unit of Federal land or water is
located.
(b) In any case in which the Secretary of the Interior
determines under subsection (a) that there is a wildlife
population decline on a specific unit of Federal land or
water that warrants a prohibition on or regulation relating
to the level of lead in ammunition or tackle, the Secretary
shall include in a Federal Register notice an explanation of
how the prohibition or regulation, as applicable, meets the
requirements of this section.

ecogrief

Sec. 126. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to carry out the program for Federal
employees at the Department of the Interior titled
``Acknowledging Ecogrief and Developing Resistance'' or any
counseling sessions, workshop, or any other meeting
pertaining to ecological grief, ecogrief, or eco-resilience.

lesser prairie-chicken

Sec. 127. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status With
Section 4(d) Rule for the Northern Distinct Population
Segment and Endangered Status for the Southern Distinct
Population Segment'' (87 Fed. Reg. 72674 (November 25,
2022)).

northern long-eared bat

Sec. 128. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared
Bat'' (87 Fed. Reg. 73488 (November 30, 2022)).

dunes sagebrush lizard

Sec. 129. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the threatened species or endangered species status of the
dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) pursuant to
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

gray wolf

Sec. 130. Not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Interior
shall reissue the final rule titled ``Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray Wolf (Canis
lupus) From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife''
(85 Fed. Reg. 69778 (November 3, 2020)).

wolverine

Sec. 131. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Threatened Species Status With Section 4(d) Rule
for North American Wolverine'' (88 Fed. Reg. 83726 (November
30, 2023)).

north cascades ecosystem grizzly bear

Sec. 132. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental
Population of Grizzly Bear in the North Cascades Ecosystem,
Washington State'' (89 Fed. Reg. 36982 (May 3, 2024)).

bitterroot ecosystem grizzly bear

Sec. 133. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used by the Secretary of the Interior
pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) to establish an experimental population of the
grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) within the Bitterroot
Ecosystem of Montana and Idaho.

fish legally held in captivity

Sec. 134. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used by the Secretary of the Interior
pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) to implement, administer, or enforce a proposed
or final rule with regard to a fish legally held in captivity
or in a controlled environment in a manner that maintains
physical separation of such fish from any wild population of
the same species.

charles m. russell national wildlife refuge

Sec. 135. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used by the Secretary of the Interior to
facilitate or allow for the introduction of American bison
(Bison bison) on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife
Refuge (as originally established in Executive Order No.
7509, renamed in Public Land Order 2951, and redesignated in
Public Land Order 5635).

endangered species act rules

Sec. 136. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce--
(1) the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Regulations Pertaining to Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife and Plants'' (89 Fed. Reg. 23919 (April
5, 2024));
(2) the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Listing Endangered and Threatened
Species and Designating Critical Habitat'' (89 Fed. Reg.
24300 (April 5, 2024)); or
(3) the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Interagency
Cooperation'' (89 Fed. Reg. 24268 (April 5, 2024)).

transparency

Sec. 137. (a) Not later than 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall
reissue and implement Order No. 3368 ``Promoting Transparency
and Accountability in Consent Decrees and Settlement
Agreements'' dated September 11, 2018.
(b) None of the funds made available by this Act shall be
available to rescind the Order reissued under subsection (a),
reissue, enforce, administer, or implement Order No. 3408
``Rescission of Secretary's Order 3368'' dated June 17,

[[Page H4810]]

2022, or to issue, enforce, administer, or implement any
substantially similar order.

funding limitation regarding blm rule

Sec. 138. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the final rule titled ``Conservation and Landscape Health''
published by the Bureau of Land Management in the Federal
Register on May 9, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 40308).

grand staircase-escalante national monument

Sec. 139. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used for management of the Grand Staircase-
Escalante National Monument except in compliance with the
document titled ``Record of Decision and Approved Resource
Management Plans for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument'' (February 2020).

cottonwood

Sec. 140. Not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall
issue the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Interagency
Cooperation'' (86 Fed. Reg. 2373 (January 12, 2021)).

funding limitation regarding fish and wildlife service rule

Sec. 141. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to finalize, implement, administer, or
enforce the proposed rule titled ``National Wildlife Refuge
System; Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental
Health'' (89 Fed. Reg. 7345 (February 2, 2024)).

national park service housing

Sec. 142. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the National Park Service to provide housing to an
alien without lawful status under the immigration laws (as
such term is defined in section 101 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101)).

big cypress national preserve

Sec. 143. The Secretary of the Interior, acting through
the Director of the National Park Service, shall prepare an
environmental impact statement under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.),
prior to approving an operations permit, as described in 36
Code of Federal Regulations, subpart B Sec. Sec. 9.80 through
9.90, for the purpose of conducting or proposing to conduct
non-federal oil or gas operations within the Big Cypress
National Preserve.

caldwell canyon

Sec. 144. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not
later than December 31, 2024, the Secretary of the Interior
shall issue a new Record of Decision for the Caldwell Canyon
Mine project that addresses the deficiencies identified by
the United States District Court for the District of Idaho in
its decisions and orders issued in Center for Biological
Diversity, et al. v. United States Bureau of Land Management,
et al. (Case Number 4:21-CV-00182-BLW) on January 24, 2023,
and June 2, 2023.

5-year plan

Sec. 145. Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands
Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking ``subsections (c) and (d) of this section,
shall prepare and periodically revise,'' and inserting ``this
section, shall issue every five years'';
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) Each five-year program shall include at least two
Gulf of Mexico region-wide lease sales per year.''.
(C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``domestic energy
security,'' after ``between'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (f) through (i) as
subsections (g) through (j), respectively; and
(3) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
``(f) Subsequent Leasing Programs.--
``(1) In General.--Not later than 36 months after
conducting the first lease sale under an oil and gas leasing
program prepared pursuant to this section, the Secretary
shall begin preparing the subsequent oil and gas leasing
program under this section.
``(2) Requirement.--Each subsequent oil and gas leasing
program under this section shall be approved by not later
than 180 days before the expiration of the previous oil and
gas leasing program.''.

offshore oil and gas leasing

Sec. 146. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
and except within areas subject to existing oil and gas
leasing moratoria beginning in fiscal year 2025, the
Secretary of the Interior shall annually conduct a minimum of
2 region-wide oil and gas lease sales in the following
planning areas of the Gulf of Mexico region, as described in
the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing
Proposed Final Program (November 2016):
(1) The Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area.
(2) The Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning
in fiscal year 2025, the Secretary of the Interior shall
annually conduct a minimum of 2 region-wide oil and gas lease
sales in the Alaska region of the Outer Continental Shelf, as
described in the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and
Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program (November 2016).
(c) In conducting lease sales under subsections (a) and
(b), the Secretary of the Interior shall--
(1) issue such leases in accordance with the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1332 et seq.); and
(2) include in each such lease sale all unleased areas that
are not subject to a moratorium as of the date of the lease
sale.

continuing offshore energy

Sec. 147. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall hold Lease Sale
262, which shall include offering for leasing any tracts--
(1) that were offered for leasing under Lease Sale 259 (as
defined in section 50264 of Public Law 117-169); and
(2) for which the Secretary of the Interior did not issue a
lease.
(b) Leases from Lease Sale 262 shall be conveyed using the
same lease form and containing the same lease terms, economic
conditions, and lease stipulations as contained in the Final
Notice of Sale for Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf Oil
and Gas Lease Sale 257 (86 Fed. Reg. 54728 (Oct 4, 2021)).

effect on other law

Sec. 148. Nothing in this Act, or any amendments made by
this Act, shall affect--
(a) the Presidential memorandum titled ``Memorandum on
Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer
Continental Shelf From Leasing Disposition'' and dated
September 8, 2020;
(b) the Presidential memorandum titled ``Memorandum on
Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer
Continental Shelf From Leasing Disposition'' and dated
September 25, 2020;
(c) the Presidential memorandum titled ``Memorandum on
Withdrawal of Certain Areas off the Atlantic Coast on the
Outer Continental Shelf From Leasing Disposition'' and dated
December 20, 2016; or
(d) the ban on oil and gas development in the Great Lakes
described in section 386 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42
U.S.C. 15941).

marine mammals

Sec. 149. (a) None of the funds made available by this Act
may be used to implement, administer, or enforce any
restriction, stipulation, or mitigation related to offshore
energy leasing, exploration, development, or production
carried out pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
(43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) intended to reduce or eliminate
possible disturbance to the North Pacific right whale
(Eubalaena japonica), North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena
glacialis), or Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei).
(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to any action required to
comply with a court order in regard to litigation concerning
the document titled ``Biological Opinion on the Federally
Regulated Oil and Gas Program Activities in the Gulf of
Mexico'' (OPR-2017-00002; March 13, 2020) or any
environmental document required under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)
needed for Gulf Of Mexico lease sales, provided that such
actions are necessary to prevent a decrease, reduction, or
prohibition of access to the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental
Shelf for energy-related activities.

onshore oil and gas leasing

Sec. 150. (a)(1) The Secretary of the Interior shall
immediately resume quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales
in compliance with the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et
seq.).
(2) The Secretary of the Interior shall ensure--
(A) that any oil and gas lease sale pursuant to paragraph
(1) is conducted immediately on completion of all applicable
scoping, public comment, and environmental analysis
requirements under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et
seq.) and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); and
(B) that the processes described in subparagraph (A) are
conducted in a timely manner to ensure compliance with
subsection (b)(1).
(3) Section 17(b)(1)(A) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30
U.S.C. 226(b)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting ``Eligible lands
comprise all lands subject to leasing under this Act and not
excluded from leasing by a statutory or regulatory
prohibition. Available lands are those lands that have been
designated as open for leasing under a land use plan
developed under section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 and that have been nominated for
leasing through the submission of an expression of interest,
are subject to drainage in the absence of leasing, or are
otherwise designated as available pursuant to regulations
adopted by the Secretary.'' after ``sales are necessary.''.
(b)(1) In accordance with the Mineral Leasing Act (30
U.S.C. 181 et seq.), each fiscal year, the Secretary of the
Interior shall conduct a minimum of four oil and gas lease
sales in each of the following States:
(A) Wyoming.
(B) New Mexico.
(C) Colorado.
(D) Utah.
(E) Montana.
(F) North Dakota.
(G) Oklahoma.
(H) Nevada.
(I) Alaska.
(J) Any other State in which there is land available for
oil and gas leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C.
181 et seq.) or any other mineral leasing law.
(2) In conducting a lease sale under paragraph (1) in a
State described in that paragraph, the Secretary of the
Interior shall offer all parcels nominated and eligible
pursuant to the requirements of the Mineral Leasing Act (30
U.S.C. 181 et seq.) for oil and gas exploration, development,
and production under the resource management plan in effect
for the State.
(3) The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a
replacement sale during the same fiscal year if--
(A) a lease sale under paragraph (1) is canceled, delayed,
or deferred, including for a lack of eligible parcels; or
(B) during a lease sale under paragraph (1) the percentage
of acreage that does not receive

[[Page H4811]]

a bid is equal to or greater than 25 percent of the acreage
offered.
(4) Not later than 30 days after a sale required under this
subsection is canceled, delayed, deferred, or otherwise
missed the Secretary of the Interior shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
and the Senate, the Committee on Natural Resources of the
House of Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources of the Senate a report that states what
sale was missed and why it was missed.

domestic mining

Sec. 151. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce any
recommendation of the Interagency Working Group on Mining
Regulations, Laws, and Permitting of the Department of the
Interior contained in the report titled ``Recommendations to
Improve Mining on Public Lands'' (published September 12,
2023).

ten-day notices

Sec. 152. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce the final rule
titled ``Ten-Day Notices and Corrective Action for State
Regulatory Program Issues'' (89 Fed. Reg. 24714 (April 9,
2024)).

lease cancellations in alaska

Sec. 153. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for the cancellation or suspension of oil and gas
leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or the National
Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.

national petroleum reserve in alaska

Sec. 154. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce the final rule
titled ``Management and Protection of the National Petroleum
Reserve in Alaska'' and published by the Bureau of Land
Management in the Federal Register on May 7, 2024 (89 Fed.
Reg. 38712), or any substantially similar rule.

trademark litigation

Sec. 155. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to oppose an application for trademark related to the
logo for the Glacier Rough Riders or pursue litigation or
other action against the Glacier Range Riders for trademark
rights infringement related to such logo.

renewal

Sec. 156. The first section of Public Law 99-338 (100
Stat. 641) is amended--
(1) by striking ``3 renewals'' and inserting ``7
renewals''; and
(2) by striking ``of Southern California Edison Company''.

greater yellowstone ecosystem grizzly bear

Sec. 157. (a) Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall
reissue the final rule entitled ``Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem Population of Grizzly Bears From the Federal List
of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife'' (82 Fed. Reg. 30502
(June 30, 2017)), without regard to any other provision of
law that applies to the issuance of that final rule.
(b) The reissuance of the final rule described in
subsection (a) (including this section) shall not be subject
to judicial review.

wilderness area

Sec. 158. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the National Park Service to designate or manage
Big Cypress National Preserve as wilderness or as a component
of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

decommissioning account

Sec. 159. The matter under the amended heading ``Royalty
and Offshore Minerals Management'' for the Minerals
Management Service in Public Law 101-512 (104 Stat. 1926, as
amended) (43 U.S.C. 1338a), as amended by section 123 of
title I of division E of (Public Law 118-42), is further
amended by striking the fifth through eighth provisos in
their entirety and inserting the following: ``Provided
further, That notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31,
United States Code, any moneys hereafter received as a result
of the forfeiture of a bond or other security by an Outer
Continental Shelf permittee, lessee, or right-of-way holder
that does not fulfill the requirements of its permit, lease,
or right-of-way or does not comply with the regulations of
the Secretary, or as a bankruptcy distribution or settlement
associated with such failure or noncompliance, shall be
credited to a separate account established in the Treasury
for decommissioning activities and shall be available to the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management without further
appropriation or fiscal year limitation to cover the cost to
the United States or any entity conducting any improvement,
protection, rehabilitation, or decommissioning work rendered
necessary by the action or inaction that led to the
forfeiture or bankruptcy distribution or settlement, to
remain available until expended: Provided further, That
amounts deposited into the decommissioning account may be
allocated to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement for such costs: Provided further, That any moneys
received for such costs currently held in the Ocean Energy
Management account shall be transferred to the
decommissioning account: Provided further, That only such
portion of the moneys so credited that are in excess of the
amount expended in performing the work necessitated by the
action or inaction which led to their receipt or, if the bond
or security was forfeited for failure to pay the civil
penalty, in excess of the civil penalty imposed shall be
returned to the bankruptcy estate, permittee, lessee, or
right-of-way holder.''.

TITLE II

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Science and Technology

For science and technology, including research and
development activities, which shall include research and
development activities under the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980; necessary
expenses for personnel and related costs and travel expenses;
procurement of laboratory equipment and supplies; hire,
maintenance, and operation of aircraft; and other operating
expenses in support of research and development,
$522,500,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026:
Provided, That of the funds included under this heading,
$21,475,000 shall be for Research: National Priorities as
specified in the report accompanying this Act.

Environmental Programs and Management

For environmental programs and management, including
necessary expenses not otherwise provided for, for personnel
and related costs and travel expenses; hire of passenger
motor vehicles; hire, maintenance, and operation of aircraft;
purchase of reprints; library memberships in societies or
associations which issue publications to members only or at a
price to members lower than to subscribers who are not
members; administrative costs of the brownfields program
under the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act of 2002; implementation of a coal
combustion residual permit program under section 2301 of the
Water and Waste Act of 2016; and not to exceed $40,000 for
official reception and representation expenses,
$2,250,445,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026:
Provided further, That of the funds included under this
heading--
(1) $35,000,000 shall be for Environmental Protection:
National Priorities as specified in the report accompanying
this Act; and
(2) $651,226,000 shall be for Geographic Programs as
specified in the report accompanying this Act.
In addition, $9,000,000, to remain available until expended,
for necessary expenses of activities described in section
26(b)(1) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C.
2625(b)(1)): Provided, That fees collected pursuant to that
section of that Act and deposited in the ``TSCA Service Fee
Fund'' as discretionary offsetting receipts in fiscal year
2025 shall be retained and used for necessary salaries and
expenses in this appropriation and shall remain available
until expended: Provided further, That the sum herein
appropriated in this paragraph from the general fund for
fiscal year 2025 shall be reduced by the amount of
discretionary offsetting receipts received during fiscal year
2025, so as to result in a final fiscal year 2025
appropriation from the general fund estimated at not more
than $0: Provided further, That to the extent that amounts
realized from such receipts exceed $9,000,000, those amounts
in excess of $9,000,000 shall be deposited in the ``TSCA
Service Fee Fund'' as discretionary offsetting receipts in
fiscal year 2025, shall be retained and used for necessary
salaries and expenses in this account, and shall remain
available until expended: Provided further, That of the
funds included in the first paragraph under this heading, the
Chemical Risk Review and Reduction program project shall be
allocated for this fiscal year, excluding the amount of any
fees appropriated, not less than the amount of appropriations
for that program project for fiscal year 2014.

Office of Inspector General

For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General
in carrying out the provisions of the Inspector General Act
of 1978, $43,250,000, to remain available until September 30,
2026.

Buildings and Facilities

For construction, repair, improvement, extension,
alteration, and purchase of fixed equipment or facilities of,
or for use by, the Environmental Protection Agency,
$40,676,000, to remain available until expended.

Hazardous Substance Superfund

(including transfers of funds)

For necessary expenses to carry out the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980 (CERCLA), including sections 111(c)(3), (c)(5), (c)(6),
and (e)(4) (42 U.S.C. 9611), and hire, maintenance, and
operation of aircraft, $661,167,000, to remain available
until expended, consisting of such sums as are available in
the Trust Fund on September 30, 2024, and not otherwise
appropriated from the Trust Fund, as authorized by section
517(a) of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of
1986 (SARA) and up to $661,167,000 as a payment from general
revenues to the Hazardous Substance Superfund for purposes as
authorized by section 517(b) of SARA: Provided, That funds
appropriated under this heading may be allocated to other
Federal agencies in accordance with section 111(a) of CERCLA:
Provided further, That of the funds appropriated under this
heading, $13,979,000 shall be paid to the ``Office of
Inspector General'' appropriation to remain available until
September 30, 2026, and $32,120,000 shall be paid to the
``Science and Technology'' appropriation to remain available
until September 30, 2026.

Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Program

For necessary expenses to carry out leaking underground
storage tank cleanup activities authorized by subtitle I of
the Solid Waste Disposal Act, $80,000,000, to remain
available until expended, of which $57,167,000 shall be for
carrying out leaking underground storage tank cleanup
activities authorized by section 9003(h) of the Solid Waste
Disposal Act; and $22,833,000 shall be for carrying out the
other provisions of the Solid Waste Disposal Act specified in
section 9508(c) of the Internal Revenue Code: Provided, That
the Administrator is authorized to use appropriations made
available under this heading

[[Page H4812]]

to implement section 9013 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act to
provide financial assistance to federally recognized Indian
Tribes for the development and implementation of programs to
manage underground storage tanks.

Inland Oil Spill Programs

For expenses necessary to carry out the Environmental
Protection Agency's responsibilities under the Oil Pollution
Act of 1990, including hire, maintenance, and operation of
aircraft, $19,600,000, to be derived from the Oil Spill
Liability trust fund, to remain available until expended.

State and Tribal Assistance Grants

For environmental programs and infrastructure assistance,
including capitalization grants for State revolving funds and
performance partnership grants, $3,680,203,000, to remain
available until expended, of which--
(1) $1,203,013,000 shall be for making capitalization
grants for the Clean Water State Revolving Funds under title
VI of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act; and of which
$883,515,000 shall be for making capitalization grants for
the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds under section 1452
of the Safe Drinking Water Act: Provided, That $553,936,004
of the funds made available for capitalization grants for the
Clean Water State Revolving Funds and $479,541,446 of the
funds made available for capitalization grants for the
Drinking Water State Revolving Funds shall be for the
construction of drinking water, wastewater, and storm water
infrastructure and for water quality protection in accordance
with the terms and conditions specified for such grants in
the report accompanying this Act for projects specified for
``STAG--Drinking Water State Revolving Fund'' and ``STAG--
Clean Water State Revolving Fund'' in the table titled
``Interior and Environment Incorporation of Community Project
Funding Items'' included in the report accompanying this Act,
and, for purposes of these grants, each grantee shall
contribute not less than 20 percent of the cost of the
project unless the grantee is approved for a waiver by the
Agency: Provided further, That the Administrator is
authorized to use up to $1,500,000 of funds made available
for the Clean Water State Revolving Funds under this heading
under title VI of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1381) to conduct the Clean Watersheds Needs Survey:
Provided further, That notwithstanding section 603(d)(7) of
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the limitation on
the amounts in a State water pollution control revolving fund
that may be used by a State to administer the fund shall not
apply to amounts included as principal in loans made by such
fund in fiscal year 2025 and prior years where such amounts
represent costs of administering the fund to the extent that
such amounts are or were deemed reasonable by the
Administrator, accounted for separately from other assets in
the fund, and used for eligible purposes of the fund,
including administration: Provided further, That for fiscal
year 2025, notwithstanding the provisions of subsections
(g)(1), (h), and (l) of section 201 of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act, grants made under title II of such Act
for American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Marianas, the United States Virgin Islands, and the District
of Columbia may also be made for the purpose of providing
assistance: (1) solely for facility plans, design activities,
or plans, specifications, and estimates for any proposed
project for the construction of treatment works; and (2) for
the construction, repair, or replacement of privately owned
treatment works serving one or more principal residences or
small commercial establishments: Provided further, That for
fiscal year 2025, notwithstanding the provisions of such
subsections (g)(1), (h), and (l) of section 201 and section
518(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, funds
reserved by the Administrator for grants under section 518(c)
of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act may also be used
to provide assistance: (1) solely for facility plans, design
activities, or plans, specifications, and estimates for any
proposed project for the construction of treatment works; and
(2) for the construction, repair, or replacement of privately
owned treatment works serving one or more principal
residences or small commercial establishments: Provided
further, That for fiscal year 2025, notwithstanding any
provision of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and
regulations issued pursuant thereof, up to a total of
$2,000,000 of the funds reserved by the Administrator for
grants under section 518(c) of such Act may also be used for
grants for training, technical assistance, and educational
programs relating to the operation and management of the
treatment works specified in section 518(c) of such Act:
Provided further, That for fiscal year 2025, funds reserved
under section 518(c) of such Act shall be available for
grants only to Indian Tribes, as defined in section 518(h) of
such Act and former Indian reservations in Oklahoma (as
determined by the Secretary of the Interior) and Native
Villages as defined in Public Law 92-203: Provided further,
That for fiscal year 2025, notwithstanding the limitation on
amounts in section 518(c) of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act, up to a total of 2 percent of the funds
appropriated, or $30,000,000, whichever is greater, and
notwithstanding the limitation on amounts in section 1452(i)
of the Safe Drinking Water Act, up to a total of 2 percent of
the funds appropriated, or $20,000,000, whichever is greater,
for State Revolving Funds under such Acts may be reserved by
the Administrator for grants under section 518(c) and section
1452(i) of such Acts: Provided further, That for fiscal year
2025, notwithstanding the amounts specified in section 205(c)
of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, up to 1.5 percent
of the aggregate funds appropriated for the Clean Water State
Revolving Fund program under the Act less any sums reserved
under section 518(c) of the Act, may be reserved by the
Administrator for grants made under title II of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act for American Samoa, Guam, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and United States
Virgin Islands: Provided further, That for fiscal year 2025,
notwithstanding the limitations on amounts specified in
section 1452(j) of the Safe Drinking Water Act, up to 1.5
percent of the funds appropriated for the Drinking Water
State Revolving Fund programs under the Safe Drinking Water
Act may be reserved by the Administrator for grants made
under section 1452(j) of the Safe Drinking Water Act:
Provided further, That 10 percent of the funds made available
under this title to each State for Clean Water State
Revolving Fund capitalization grants and 14 percent of the
funds made available under this title to each State for
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund capitalization grants
shall be used by the State to provide additional subsidy to
eligible recipients in the form of forgiveness of principal,
negative interest loans, or grants (or any combination of
these), and shall be so used by the State only where such
funds are provided as initial financing for an eligible
recipient or to buy, refinance, or restructure the debt
obligations of eligible recipients only where such debt was
incurred on or after the date of enactment of this Act, or
where such debt was incurred prior to the date of enactment
of this Act if the State, with concurrence from the
Administrator, determines that such funds could be used to
help address a threat to public health from heightened
exposure to lead in drinking water or if a Federal or State
emergency declaration has been issued due to a threat to
public health from heightened exposure to lead in a municipal
drinking water supply before the date of enactment of this
Act: Provided further, That in a State in which such an
emergency declaration has been issued, the State may use more
than 14 percent of the funds made available under this title
to the State for Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
capitalization grants to provide additional subsidy to
eligible recipients: Provided further, That notwithstanding
section 1452(o) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C.
300j-12(o)), the Administrator shall reserve up to
$12,000,000 of the amounts made available for fiscal year
2025 for making capitalization grants for the Drinking Water
State Revolving Funds to pay the costs of monitoring for
unregulated contaminants under section 1445(a)(2)(C) of such
Act: Provided further, That the funds made available under
this heading for Community Project Funding grants in this or
prior appropriations Acts are not subject to compliance with
Federal procurement requirements for competition and methods
of procurement applicable to Federal financial assistance, if
a Community Project Funding recipient has procured services
or products through contracts entered into prior to the date
of enactment of this Act that complied with State and/or
local laws governing competition;
(2) $45,000,000 shall be for architectural, engineering,
planning, design, construction and related activities in
connection with the construction of high priority water and
wastewater facilities in the area of the United States-Mexico
Border, after consultation with the appropriate border
commission: Provided, That no funds provided by this
appropriations Act to address the water, wastewater and other
critical infrastructure needs of the colonias in the United
States along the United States-Mexico border shall be made
available to a county or municipal government unless that
government has established an enforceable local ordinance, or
other zoning rule, which prevents in that jurisdiction the
development or construction of any additional colonia areas,
or the development within an existing colonia the
construction of any new home, business, or other structure
which lacks water, wastewater, or other necessary
infrastructure;
(3) $30,000,000 shall be for grants to the State of Alaska
to address drinking water and wastewater infrastructure needs
of rural and Alaska Native Villages: Provided, That of these
funds: (A) the State of Alaska shall provide a match of 25
percent; (B) no more than 5 percent of the funds may be used
for administrative and overhead expenses; and (C) the State
of Alaska shall make awards consistent with the Statewide
priority list established in conjunction with the Agency and
the U.S. Department of Agriculture for all water, sewer,
waste disposal, and similar projects carried out by the State
of Alaska that are funded under section 221 of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1301) or the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1921 et
seq.) which shall allocate not less than 25 percent of the
funds provided for projects in regional hub communities;
(4) $90,292,000 shall be to carry out section 104(k) of the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), including grants, interagency
agreements, and associated program support costs: Provided,
That at least 10 percent shall be allocated for assistance in
persistent poverty counties: Provided further, That for
purposes of this section, the term ``persistent poverty
counties'' means any county that has had 20 percent or more
of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years,
as measured by the 1993 Small Area Income and Poverty
Estimates, the 2000 decennial census, and the most recent
Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, or any territory or
possession of the United States;
(5) $90,000,000 shall be for grants under title VII,
subtitle G of the Energy Policy Act of 2005;
(6) $67,800,000 shall be for targeted airshed grants in
accordance with the terms and conditions in the report
accompanying this Act;
(7) $27,500,000 shall be for grants under subsections (a)
through (j) of section 1459A of the Safe Drinking Water Act
(42 U.S.C. 300j-19a): Provided, That for fiscal year 2025,
funds provided under subsections (a) through (j) of such
section of such Act may be used--

[[Page H4813]]

(A) by a State to provide assistance to benefit one or more
owners of drinking water wells that are not public water
systems or connected to a public water system for necessary
and appropriate activities related to a contaminant pursuant
to subsection (j) of such section of such Act; and
(B) to support a community described in subsection (c)(2)
of such section of such Act;
(8) $28,000,000 shall be for grants under section 1464(d)
of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-24(d));
(9) $22,000,000 shall be for grants under section 1459B of
the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-19b);
(10) $6,500,000 shall be for grants under section 1459A(l)
of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-19a(l));
(11) $25,500,000 shall be for grants under section
104(b)(8) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1254(b)(8));
(12) $2,000,000 shall be for grants under section 224 of
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1302b);
(13) $3,000,000 shall be for grants under section 220 of
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1300);
(14) $41,000,000 shall be for grants under section 221 of
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1301);
(15) $5,000,000 shall be for grants under section 4304(b)
of the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (Public Law
115-270);
(16) $3,000,000 shall be for carrying out section 302(a) of
the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (33 U.S.C. 4282(a)), of which not
more than 2 percent shall be for administrative costs to
carry out such section: Provided, That notwithstanding
section 302(a) of such Act, the Administrator may also
provide grants pursuant to such authority to intertribal
consortia consistent with the requirements in 40 CFR
35.504(a), to former Indian reservations in Oklahoma (as
determined by the Secretary of the Interior), and Alaska
Native Villages as defined in Public Law 92-203;
(17) $2,250,000 shall be for grants under section 1459F of
the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-19g);
(18) $4,000,000 shall be for carrying out section 2001 of
the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (Public Law
115-270, 42 U.S.C. 300j-3c note): Provided, That the
Administrator may award grants to and enter into contracts
with Tribes, intertribal consortia, public or private
agencies, institutions, organizations, and individuals,
without regard to section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31 and
section 6101 of title 41, United States Code, and enter into
interagency agreements as appropriate;
(19) $2,000,000 shall be for grants under section 50217(b)
of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (33 U.S.C.
1302f(b); Public Law 117-58);
(20) $3,500,000 shall be for grants under section 124 of
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1276); and
(21) $1,095,333,000 shall be for grants, including
associated program support costs, to States, federally
recognized Tribes, interstate agencies, Tribal consortia, and
air pollution control agencies for multi-media or single
media pollution prevention, control and abatement, and
related activities, including activities pursuant to the
provisions set forth under this heading in Public Law 104-
134, and for making grants under section 103 of the Clean Air
Act for particulate matter monitoring and data collection
activities subject to terms and conditions specified by the
Administrator, and under section 2301 of the Water and Waste
Act of 2016 to assist States in developing and implementing
programs for control of coal combustion residuals, of which:
$42,250,000 shall be for carrying out section 128 of CERCLA;
$7,000,000 shall be for Environmental Information Exchange
Network grants, including associated program support costs;
$1,475,000 shall be for grants to States under section
2007(f)(2) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, which shall be in
addition to funds appropriated under the heading ``Leaking
Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Program'' to carry out
the provisions of the Solid Waste Disposal Act specified in
section 9508(c) of the Internal Revenue Code other than
section 9003(h) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act; $18,512,000
of the funds available for grants under section 106 of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act shall be for State
participation in national- and State-level statistical
surveys of water resources and enhancements to State
monitoring programs.

Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program Account

For the cost of direct loans and for the cost of guaranteed
loans, as authorized by the Water Infrastructure Finance and
Innovation Act of 2014, $64,634,000, to remain available
until expended: Provided, That such costs, including the
cost of modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section
502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided
further, That these funds are available to subsidize gross
obligations for the principal amount of direct loans,
including capitalized interest, and total loan principal,
including capitalized interest, any part of which is to be
guaranteed, not to exceed $12,500,000,000: Provided further,
That of the funds made available under this heading,
$5,000,000 shall be used solely for the cost of direct loans
and for the cost of guaranteed loans for projects described
in section 5026(9) of the Water Infrastructure Finance and
Innovation Act of 2014 to State infrastructure financing
authorities, as authorized by section 5033(e) of such Act:
Provided further, That the use of direct loans or loan
guarantee authority under this heading for direct loans or
commitments to guarantee loans for any project shall be in
accordance with the criteria published in the Federal
Register on June 30, 2020 (85 FR 39189) pursuant to the
fourth proviso under the heading ``Water Infrastructure
Finance and Innovation Program Account'' in division D of the
Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law
116-94): Provided further, That none of the direct loans or
loan guarantee authority made available under this heading
shall be available for any project unless the Administrator
and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget have
certified in advance in writing that the direct loan or loan
guarantee, as applicable, and the project comply with the
criteria referenced in the previous proviso: Provided
further, That, for the purposes of carrying out the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office may request, and the
Administrator shall promptly provide, documentation and
information relating to a project identified in a Letter of
Interest submitted to the Administrator pursuant to a Notice
of Funding Availability for applications for credit
assistance under the Water Infrastructure Finance and
Innovation Act Program, including with respect to a project
that was initiated or completed before the date of enactment
of this Act.
In addition, fees authorized to be collected pursuant to
sections 5029 and 5030 of the Water Infrastructure Finance
and Innovation Act of 2014 shall be deposited in this
account, to remain available until expended.
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the
direct and guaranteed loan programs, notwithstanding section
5033 of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act
of 2014, $7,640,000, to remain available until September 30,
2026.

Administrative Provisions--Environmental Protection Agency

(including transfers of funds)

For fiscal year 2025, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 6303(1) and
6305(1), the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency, in carrying out the Agency's function to implement
directly Federal environmental programs required or
authorized by law in the absence of an acceptable Tribal
program, may award cooperative agreements to federally
recognized Indian Tribes or Intertribal consortia, if
authorized by their member Tribes, to assist the
Administrator in implementing Federal environmental programs
for Indian Tribes required or authorized by law, except that
no such cooperative agreements may be awarded from funds
designated for State financial assistance agreements.
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is
authorized to collect and obligate pesticide registration
service fees in accordance with section 33 of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136w-
8), to remain available until expended.
Notwithstanding section 33(d)(2) of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C.
136w-8(d)(2)), the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency may assess fees under section 33 of FIFRA
(7 U.S.C. 136w-8) for fiscal year 2025.
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is
authorized to collect and obligate fees in accordance with
section 3024 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C.
6939g) for fiscal year 2025, to remain available until
expended.
The Administrator is authorized to transfer up to
$368,000,000 of the funds appropriated for the Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative under the heading ``Environmental
Programs and Management'' to the head of any Federal
department or agency, with the concurrence of such head, to
carry out activities that would support the Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative and Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement programs, projects, or activities; to enter into an
interagency agreement with the head of such Federal
department or agency to carry out these activities; and to
make grants to governmental entities, nonprofit
organizations, institutions, and individuals for planning,
research, monitoring, outreach, and implementation in
furtherance of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the
Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
The Science and Technology, Environmental Programs and
Management, Office of Inspector General, Hazardous Substance
Superfund, and Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund
Program Accounts, are available for the construction,
alteration, repair, rehabilitation, and renovation of
facilities, provided that the cost does not exceed $300,000
per project.
For fiscal year 2025, and notwithstanding section 518(f) of
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1377(f)),
the Administrator is authorized to use the amounts
appropriated for any fiscal year under section 319 of the Act
to make grants to Indian Tribes pursuant to sections 319(h)
and 518(e) of that Act.
The Administrator is authorized to use the amounts
appropriated under the heading ``Environmental Programs and
Management'' for fiscal year 2025 to provide grants to
implement the Southeast New England Watershed Restoration
Program.
Notwithstanding the limitations on amounts in section
320(i)(2)(B) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, not
less than $2,500,000 of the funds made available under this
title for the National Estuary Program shall be for making
competitive awards described in section 320(g)(4).
For fiscal year 2025, the Office of Chemical Safety and
Pollution Prevention and the Office of Water may, using funds
appropriated under the headings ``Environmental Programs and
Management'' and ``Science and Technology'', contract
directly with individuals or indirectly with institutions or
nonprofit organizations, without regard to 41 U.S.C. 5, for
the temporary or intermittent personal services of students
or recent graduates, who shall be considered employees for
the purposes of chapters 57 and 81 of title 5, United States
Code, relating to compensation for travel and work injuries,
and

[[Page H4814]]

chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, relating to tort
claims, but shall not be considered to be Federal employees
for any other purpose: Provided, That amounts used for this
purpose by the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention and the Office of Water collectively may not
exceed $2,000,000.
The Environmental Protection agency shall provide the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
and Senate with copies of any available Department of
Treasury quarterly certification of trust fund receipts
collected from section 13601 of Public Law 117-169 and
section 80201 of Public Law 117-58, an annual operating plan
for such receipts showing amounts allocated by program area
and program project, and quarterly reports for such receipts
of obligated balances by program area and program project.

TITLE III

RELATED AGENCIES

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

office of the under secretary for natural resources and environment

For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary
for Natural Resources and Environment, $1,000,000: Provided,
That funds made available by this Act to any agency in the
Natural Resources and Environment mission area for salaries
and expenses are available to fund up to one administrative
support staff for the office.

Forest Service

forest service operations

(including transfers of funds)

For necessary expenses of the Forest Service, not otherwise
provided for, $1,035,000,000, to remain available through
September 30, 2028: Provided, That a portion of the funds
made available under this heading shall be for the base
salary and expenses of employees in the Chief's Office, the
Work Environment and Performance Office, the Business
Operations Deputy Area, and the Chief Financial Officer's
Office to carry out administrative and general management
support functions: Provided further, That funds provided
under this heading shall be available for the costs of
facility maintenance, repairs, and leases for buildings and
sites where these administrative, general management and
other Forest Service support functions take place; the costs
of all utility and telecommunication expenses of the Forest
Service, as well as business services; and, for information
technology, including cybersecurity requirements: Provided
further, That funds provided under this heading may be used
for necessary expenses to carry out administrative and
general management support functions of the Forest Service
not otherwise provided for and necessary for its operation.

forest and rangeland research

For necessary expenses of forest and rangeland research as
authorized by law, $299,760,000, to remain available through
September 30, 2028: Provided, That of the funds provided,
$32,000,000 is for the forest inventory and analysis program:
Provided further, That all authorities for the use of funds,
including the use of contracts, grants, and cooperative
agreements, available to execute the Forest and Rangeland
Research appropriation, are also available in the utilization
of these funds for Fire Science Research.

state, private, and tribal forestry

For necessary expenses of cooperating with and providing
technical and financial assistance to States, territories,
possessions, Tribes, and others, and for forest health
management, including for invasive plants, and conducting an
international program and trade activities as authorized,
$282,960,000, to remain available through September 30, 2028,
as authorized by law.

national forest system

For necessary expenses of the Forest Service, not otherwise
provided for, for management, protection, improvement, and
utilization of the National Forest System, and for hazardous
fuels management on or adjacent to such lands,
$1,866,465,000, to remain available through September 30,
2028: Provided, That of the funds provided, $30,000,000
shall be deposited in the Collaborative Forest Landscape
Restoration Fund for ecological restoration treatments as
authorized by 16 U.S.C. 7303(f): Provided further, That of
the funds provided, $43,000,000 shall be for forest products:
Provided further, That of the funds provided, $202,000,000
shall be for hazardous fuels management activities, of which
not to exceed $30,000,000 may be used to make grants, using
any authorities available to the Forest Service under the
``State, Private, and Tribal Forestry'' appropriation, for
the purpose of creating incentives for increased use of
biomass from National Forest System lands: Provided further,
That $20,000,000 may be used by the Secretary of Agriculture
to enter into procurement contracts or cooperative agreements
or to issue grants for hazardous fuels management activities,
and for training or monitoring associated with such hazardous
fuels management activities on Federal land, or on non-
Federal land if the Secretary determines such activities
benefit resources on Federal land: Provided further, That
funds made available to implement the Community Forest
Restoration Act, Public Law 106-393, title VI, shall be
available for use on non-Federal lands in accordance with
authorities made available to the Forest Service under the
``State, Private, and Tribal Forestry'' appropriation:
Provided further, That notwithstanding section 33 of the
Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1012), the Secretary
of Agriculture, in calculating a fee for grazing on a
National Grassland, may provide a credit of up to 50 percent
of the calculated fee to a Grazing Association or direct
permittee for a conservation practice approved by the
Secretary in advance of the fiscal year in which the cost of
the conservation practice is incurred, and that the amount
credited shall remain available to the Grazing Association or
the direct permittee, as appropriate, in the fiscal year in
which the credit is made and each fiscal year thereafter for
use on the project for conservation practices approved by the
Secretary: Provided further, That funds appropriated to this
account shall be available for the base salary and expenses
of employees that carry out the functions funded by the
``Capital Improvement and Maintenance'' account, the ``Range
Betterment Fund'' account, and the ``Management of National
Forest Lands for Subsistence Uses'' account.

capital improvement and maintenance

(including transfer of funds)

For necessary expenses of the Forest Service, not otherwise
provided for, $157,000,000, to remain available through
September 30, 2028, for construction, capital improvement,
maintenance, and acquisition of buildings and other
facilities and infrastructure; for construction,
reconstruction, and decommissioning of roads that are no
longer needed, including unauthorized roads that are not part
of the transportation system; and for maintenance of forest
roads and trails by the Forest Service as authorized by 16
U.S.C. 532-538 and 23 U.S.C. 101 and 205: Provided, That
$6,000,000 shall be for activities authorized by 16 U.S.C.
538(a): Provided further, That funds becoming available in
fiscal year 2025 under the Act of March 4, 1913 (16 U.S.C.
501) shall be transferred to the General Fund of the Treasury
and shall not be available for transfer or obligation for any
other purpose unless the funds are appropriated.

acquisition of lands for national forests special acts

For acquisition of lands within the exterior boundaries of
the Cache, Uinta, and Wasatch National Forests, Utah; the
Toiyabe National Forest, Nevada; and the Angeles, San
Bernardino, Sequoia, and Cleveland National Forests,
California; and the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National
Forests, Arkansas; as authorized by law, $664,000, to be
derived from forest receipts.

acquisition of lands to complete land exchanges

For acquisition of lands, such sums, to be derived from
funds deposited by State, county, or municipal governments,
public school districts, or other public school authorities,
and for authorized expenditures from funds deposited by non-
Federal parties pursuant to Land Sale and Exchange Acts,
pursuant to the Act of December 4, 1967 (16 U.S.C. 484a), to
remain available through September 30, 2028, (16 U.S.C. 516-
617a, 555a; Public Law 96-586; Public Law 76-589, Public Law
76-591; and Public Law 78-310).

range betterment fund

For necessary expenses of range rehabilitation, protection,
and improvement, 50 percent of all moneys received during the
prior fiscal year, as fees for grazing domestic livestock on
lands in National Forests in the 16 Western States, pursuant
to section 401(b)(1) of Public Law 94-579, to remain
available through September 30, 2028, of which not to exceed
6 percent shall be available for administrative expenses
associated with on-the-ground range rehabilitation,
protection, and improvements.

gifts, donations and bequests for forest and rangeland research

For expenses authorized by 16 U.S.C. 1643(b), $45,000, to
remain available through September 30, 2028, to be derived
from the fund established pursuant to the above Act.

management of national forest lands for subsistence uses

For necessary expenses of the Forest Service to manage
Federal lands in Alaska for subsistence uses under title VIII
of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (16
U.S.C. 3111 et seq.), $1,099,000, to remain available through
September 30, 2028.

wildland fire management

(including transfers of funds)

For necessary expenses for forest fire presuppression
activities on National Forest System lands, for emergency
wildland fire suppression on or adjacent to such lands or
other lands under fire protection agreement, and for
emergency rehabilitation of burned-over National Forest
System lands and water, $2,407,735,000, to remain available
until expended: Provided, That such funds, including
unobligated balances under this heading, are available for
repayment of advances from other appropriations accounts
previously transferred for such purposes: Provided further,
That any unobligated funds appropriated in a previous fiscal
year for hazardous fuels management may be transferred to the
``National Forest System'' account: Provided further, That
such funds shall be available to reimburse State and other
cooperating entities for services provided in response to
wildfire and other emergencies or disasters to the extent
such reimbursements by the Forest Service for non-fire
emergencies are fully repaid by the responsible emergency
management agency: Provided further, That funds provided
shall be available for support to Federal emergency response:
Provided further, That the costs of implementing any
cooperative agreement between the Federal Government and any
non-Federal entity may be shared, as mutually agreed on by
the affected parties: Provided further, That of the funds
provided under this heading, $1,011,000,000 shall be
available for wildfire suppression operations, and is
provided to meet the terms of section 251(b)(2)(F)(ii)(I) of
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of
1985.

[[Page H4815]]

wildfire suppression operations reserve fund

(including transfers of funds)

In addition to the amounts provided under the heading
``Department of Agriculture--Forest Service--Wildland Fire
Management'' for wildfire suppression operations,
$2,390,000,000, to remain available until transferred, is
additional new budget authority as specified for purposes of
section 251(b)(2)(F) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985: Provided, That such amounts may
be transferred to and merged with amounts made available
under the headings ``Department of the Interior--Department-
Wide Programs--Wildland Fire Management'' and ``Department of
Agriculture--Forest Service--Wildland Fire Management'' for
wildfire suppression operations in the fiscal year in which
such amounts are transferred: Provided further, That amounts
may be transferred to the ``Wildland Fire Management''
accounts in the Department of the Interior or the Department
of Agriculture only upon the notification of the House and
Senate Committees on Appropriations that all wildfire
suppression operations funds appropriated under that heading
in this and prior appropriations Acts to the agency to which
the funds will be transferred will be obligated within 30
days: Provided further, That the transfer authority provided
under this heading is in addition to any other transfer
authority provided by law: Provided further, That, in
determining whether all wildfire suppression operations funds
appropriated under the heading ``Wildland Fire Management''
in this and prior appropriations Acts to either the
Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior
will be obligated within 30 days pursuant to the preceding
proviso, any funds transferred or permitted to be transferred
pursuant to any other transfer authority provided by law
shall be excluded.

communications site administration

(including transfer of funds)

Amounts collected in this fiscal year pursuant to section
8705(f)(2) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public
Law 115-334), shall be deposited in the special account
established by section 8705(f)(1) of such Act, shall be
available to cover the costs described in subsection (c)(3)
of such section of such Act, and shall remain available until
expended: Provided, That such amounts shall be transferred
to the ``National Forest System'' account.

administrative provisions--forest service

(including transfers of funds)

Appropriations to the Forest Service for the current fiscal
year shall be available for: (1) purchase of passenger motor
vehicles; acquisition of passenger motor vehicles from excess
sources, and hire of such vehicles; purchase, lease,
operation, maintenance, and acquisition of aircraft to
maintain the operable fleet for use in Forest Service
wildland fire programs and other Forest Service programs;
notwithstanding other provisions of law, existing aircraft
being replaced may be sold, with proceeds derived or trade-in
value used to offset the purchase price for the replacement
aircraft; (2) services pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 2225, and not to
exceed $100,000 for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109; (3)
purchase, erection, and alteration of buildings and other
public improvements (7 U.S.C. 2250); (4) acquisition of land,
waters, and interests therein pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 428a; (5)
for expenses pursuant to the Volunteers in the National
Forest Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 558a, 558d, and 558a note); (6)
the cost of uniforms as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5901-5902; and
(7) for debt collection contracts in accordance with 31
U.S.C. 3718(c).
Funds made available to the Forest Service in this Act may
be transferred between accounts affected by the Forest
Service budget restructure outlined in section 435 of
division D of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2020 (Public Law 116-94): Provided, That any transfer of
funds pursuant to this paragraph shall not increase or
decrease the funds appropriated to any account in this fiscal
year by more than ten percent: Provided further, That such
transfer authority is in addition to any other transfer
authority provided by law.
Any appropriations or funds available to the Forest Service
may be transferred to the Wildland Fire Management
appropriation for forest firefighting, emergency
rehabilitation of burned-over or damaged lands or waters
under its jurisdiction, and fire preparedness due to severe
burning conditions upon the Secretary of Agriculture's
notification of the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations that all fire suppression funds appropriated
under the heading ``Wildland Fire Management'' will be
obligated within 30 days: Provided, That all funds used
pursuant to this paragraph must be replenished by a
supplemental appropriation which must be requested as
promptly as possible.
Not more than $50,000,000 of funds appropriated to the
Forest Service shall be available for expenditure or transfer
to the Department of the Interior for wildland fire
management, hazardous fuels management, and State fire
assistance when such transfers would facilitate and expedite
wildland fire management programs and projects.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Forest
Service may transfer unobligated balances of discretionary
funds appropriated to the Forest Service by this Act to or
within the National Forest System Account, or reprogram funds
to be used for the purposes of hazardous fuels management and
urgent rehabilitation of burned-over National Forest System
lands and water: Provided, That such transferred funds shall
remain available through September 30, 2028: Provided
further, That none of the funds transferred pursuant to this
paragraph shall be available for obligation without written
notification to and the prior approval of the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Funds appropriated to the Forest Service shall be available
for assistance to or through the Agency for International
Development in connection with forest and rangeland research,
technical information, and assistance in foreign countries,
and shall be available to support forestry and related
natural resource activities outside the United States and its
territories and possessions, including technical assistance,
education and training, and cooperation with United States
government, private sector, and international organizations:
Provided, That the Forest Service, acting for the
International Program, may sign direct funding agreements
with foreign governments and institutions as well as other
domestic agencies (including the U.S. Agency for
International Development, the Department of State, and the
Millennium Challenge Corporation), United States private
sector firms, institutions and organizations to provide
technical assistance and training programs on forestry and
rangeland management: Provided further, That to maximize
effectiveness of domestic and international research and
cooperation, the International Program may utilize all
authorities related to forestry, research, and cooperative
assistance regardless of program designations.
Funds appropriated to the Forest Service shall be available
for expenditure or transfer to the Department of the
Interior, Bureau of Land Management, for removal,
preparation, and adoption of excess wild horses and burros
from National Forest System lands, and for the performance of
cadastral surveys to designate the boundaries of such lands.
None of the funds made available to the Forest Service in
this Act or any other Act with respect to any fiscal year
shall be subject to transfer under the provisions of section
702(b) of the Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 1944
(7 U.S.C. 2257), section 442 of Public Law 106-224 (7 U.S.C.
7772), or section 10417(b) of Public Law 107-171 (7 U.S.C.
8316(b)).
Not more than $82,000,000 of funds available to the Forest
Service shall be transferred to the Working Capital Fund of
the Department of Agriculture and not more than $14,500,000
of funds available to the Forest Service shall be transferred
to the Department of Agriculture for Department Reimbursable
Programs, commonly referred to as Greenbook charges:
Provided, That nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit or
limit the use of reimbursable agreements requested by the
Forest Service in order to obtain information technology
services, including telecommunications and system
modifications or enhancements, from the Working Capital Fund
of the Department of Agriculture.
Of the funds available to the Forest Service, up to
$5,000,000 shall be available for priority projects within
the scope of the approved budget, which shall be carried out
by the Youth Conservation Corps and shall be carried out
under the authority of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16
U.S.C. 1721 et seq.).
Of the funds available to the Forest Service, $4,000 is
available to the Chief of the Forest Service for official
reception and representation expenses.
Pursuant to sections 405(b) and 410(b) of Public Law 101-
593, of the funds available to the Forest Service, up to
$3,000,000 may be advanced in a lump sum to the National
Forest Foundation to aid conservation partnership projects in
support of the Forest Service mission, without regard to when
the Foundation incurs expenses, for projects on or
benefitting National Forest System lands or related to Forest
Service programs: Provided, That of the Federal funds made
available to the Foundation, no more than $300,000 shall be
available for administrative expenses: Provided further,
That the Foundation shall obtain, by the end of the period of
Federal financial assistance, private contributions to match
funds made available by the Forest Service on at least a one-
for-one basis: Provided further, That the Foundation may
transfer Federal funds to a Federal or a non-Federal
recipient for a project at the same rate that the recipient
has obtained the non-Federal matching funds.
Pursuant to section 2(b)(2) of Public Law 98-244, up to
$3,000,000 of the funds available to the Forest Service may
be advanced to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in a
lump sum to aid cost-share conservation projects, without
regard to when expenses are incurred, on or benefitting
National Forest System lands or related to Forest Service
programs: Provided, That such funds shall be matched on at
least a one-for-one basis by the Foundation or its sub-
recipients: Provided further, That the Foundation may
transfer Federal funds to a Federal or non-Federal recipient
for a project at the same rate that the recipient has
obtained the non-Federal matching funds.
Any amounts made available to the Forest Service in this
fiscal year, including available collections, may be used by
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the
Forest Service, to enter into Federal financial assistance
grants and cooperative agreements to support forest or
grassland collaboratives in the accomplishment of activities
benefitting both the public and the National Forest System,
Federal lands and adjacent non-Federal lands. Eligible
activities are those that will improve or enhance Federal
investments, resources, or lands, including for collaborative
and collaboration-based activities, including but not limited
to facilitation, planning, and implementing projects,
technical assistance, administrative functions, operational
support, participant costs, and other capacity support needs,
as identified by the Forest Service. Eligible recipients are
Indian Tribal entities (defined at 25 U.S.C. 5304(e)), state
government, local governments, private and nonprofit
entities, for-profit organizations, and educational
institutions. The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through
the Chief of the Forest Service, may

[[Page H4816]]

enter into such cooperative agreements notwithstanding
chapter 63 of title 31 when the Secretary determines that the
public interest will be benefited and that there exists a
mutual interest other than monetary considerations.
Transactions subject to Title 2 of the Code of Federal
Regulations shall be publicly advertised and require
competition when required by such Title 2. For those
transactions not subject to Title 2 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, the agency may require public advertising and
competition when deemed appropriate. The term ``forest and
grassland collaboratives'' means groups of individuals or
entities with diverse interests participating in a
cooperative process to share knowledge, ideas, and resources
about the protection, restoration, or enhancement of natural
and other resources on Federal and adjacent non-Federal
lands, the improvement or maintenance of public access to
Federal lands, or the reduction of risk to such lands caused
by natural disasters.
Funds appropriated to the Forest Service under the headings
``National Forest System'' and ``Forest and Rangeland
Research'' may be used for fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year
2025 expenses associated with primary and secondary schooling
for dependents of agency personnel stationed in Puerto Rico,
who are subject to transfer and reassignment to other
locations in the United States, at a cost not in excess of
those authorized for the Department of Defense for the same
area, when it is determined by the Chief of the Forest
Service that public schools available in the locality are
unable to provide adequately for the education of such
dependents: Provided, That the Congress hereby ratifies and
approves payments for such purposes to agency employees
stationed in Puerto Rico made by the Forest Service after
August 2, 2005, in accordance with the 19th unnumbered
paragraph under the heading ``Administrative Provisions,
Forest Service'' in title III of Public Law 109-54, as
amended.
Funds appropriated to the Forest Service shall be available
for interactions with and providing technical assistance to
rural communities and natural resource-based businesses for
sustainable rural development purposes.
Funds appropriated to the Forest Service shall be available
for payments to counties within the Columbia River Gorge
National Scenic Area, pursuant to section 14(c)(1) and (2),
and section 16(a)(2) of Public Law 99-663.
Any funds appropriated to the Forest Service may be used to
meet the non-Federal share requirement in section 502(c) of
the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3056(c)(2)).
The Forest Service shall not assess funds for the purpose
of performing fire, administrative, and other facilities
maintenance and decommissioning.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, of any
appropriations or funds available to the Forest Service, not
to exceed $500,000 may be used to reimburse the Office of the
General Counsel (OGC), Department of Agriculture, for travel
and related expenses incurred as a result of OGC assistance
or participation requested by the Forest Service at meetings,
training sessions, management reviews, land purchase
negotiations, and similar matters unrelated to civil
litigation: Provided, That future budget justifications for
both the Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture
should clearly display the sums previously transferred and
the sums requested for transfer.
An eligible individual who is employed in any project
funded under title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42
U.S.C. 3056 et seq.) and administered by the Forest Service
shall be considered to be a Federal employee for purposes of
chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code.
The Forest Service may employ or contract with an
individual who is enrolled in a training program at a
longstanding Civilian Conservation Center (as defined in
section 147(d) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act (29 U.S.C. 3197(d))) at regular rates of pay for
necessary hours of work on National Forest System lands.
Funds appropriated to the Forest Service shall be available
to pay, from a single account, the base salary and expenses
of employees who carry out functions funded by other accounts
for Enterprise Program, Geospatial Technology and
Applications Center, remnant Natural Resource Manager, Job
Corps, and National Technology and Development Program.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service

indian health services

For expenses necessary to carry out the Act of August 5,
1954 (68 Stat. 674), the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act, the Indian Health Care Improvement
Act, and titles II and III of the Public Health Service Act
with respect to the Indian Health Service, $440,282,000, to
remain available until September 30, 2026, except as
otherwise provided herein, which shall be in addition to
funds previously appropriated under this heading that became
available on October 1, 2024; in addition, $150,472,000, to
remain available until September 30, 2026, for the Electronic
Health Record System and the Indian Healthcare Improvement
Fund, of which $75,472,000 is for the Indian Health Care
Improvement Fund and may be used, as needed, to carry out
activities typically funded under the Indian Health
Facilities account; and, in addition, $5,124,311,000, which
shall become available on October 1, 2025, and remain
available through September 30, 2027, except as otherwise
provided herein; together with payments received during the
fiscal year pursuant to sections 231(b) and 233 of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 238(b) and 238b), for services
furnished by the Indian Health Service: Provided, That funds
made available to Tribes and Tribal organizations through
contracts, grant agreements, or any other agreements or
compacts authorized by the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act of 1975 (25 U.S.C. 450), shall be
deemed to be obligated at the time of the grant or contract
award and thereafter shall remain available to the Tribe or
Tribal organization without fiscal year limitation: Provided
further, That from the amounts that become available on
October 1, 2025, $2,500,000 shall be available for grants or
contracts with public or private institutions to provide
alcohol or drug treatment services to Indians, including
alcohol detoxification services: Provided further, That from
the amounts that become available on October 1, 2025,
$1,048,804,000 shall remain available until expended for
Purchased/Referred Care: Provided further, That of the total
amount specified in the preceding proviso for Purchased/
Referred Care, $54,000,000 shall be for the Indian
Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund: Provided further, That
from the amounts that become available on October 1, 2025, up
to $51,000,000 shall remain available until expended for
implementation of the loan repayment program under section
108 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act: Provided
further, That from the amounts that become available on
October 1, 2025, $58,000,000, to remain available until
expended, shall be for costs related to or resulting from
accreditation emergencies, including supplementing activities
funded under the heading ``Indian Health Facilities'', of
which up to $4,000,000 may be used to supplement amounts
otherwise available for Purchased/Referred Care: Provided
further, That the amounts collected by the Federal Government
as authorized by sections 104 and 108 of the Indian Health
Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1613a and 1616a) during the
preceding fiscal year for breach of contracts shall be
deposited in the Fund authorized by section 108A of that Act
(25 U.S.C. 1616a-1) and shall remain available until expended
and, notwithstanding section 108A(c) of that Act (25 U.S.C.
1616a-1(c)), funds shall be available to make new awards
under the loan repayment and scholarship programs under
sections 104 and 108 of that Act (25 U.S.C. 1613a and 1616a):
Provided further, That the amounts made available within
this account for the Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention
Program, for Opioid Prevention, Treatment and Recovery
Services, for the Domestic Violence Prevention Program, for
the Zero Suicide Initiative, for the housing subsidy
authority for civilian employees, for Aftercare Pilot
Programs at Youth Regional Treatment Centers, for
transformation and modernization costs of the Indian Health
Service Electronic Health Record system, for national quality
and oversight activities, to improve collections from public
and private insurance at Indian Health Service and Tribally
operated facilities, for an initiative to treat or reduce the
transmission of HIV and HCV, for a maternal health
initiative, for the Telebehaviorial Health Center of
Excellence, for Alzheimer's activities, for Village Built
Clinics, for a produce prescription pilot, and for
accreditation emergencies shall be allocated at the
discretion of the Director of the Indian Health Service and
shall remain available until expended: Provided further,
That funds provided in this Act may be used for annual
contracts and grants that fall within 2 fiscal years,
provided the total obligation is recorded in the year the
funds are appropriated: Provided further, That the amounts
collected by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under
the authority of title IV of the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1613) shall remain available until
expended for the purpose of achieving compliance with the
applicable conditions and requirements of titles XVIII and
XIX of the Social Security Act, except for those related to
the planning, design, or construction of new facilities:
Provided further, That funding contained herein for
scholarship programs under the Indian Health Care Improvement
Act (25 U.S.C. 1613) shall remain available until expended:
Provided further, That amounts received by Tribes and Tribal
organizations under title IV of the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act shall be reported and accounted for and
available to the receiving Tribes and Tribal organizations
until expended: Provided further, That the Bureau of Indian
Affairs may collect from the Indian Health Service, and from
Tribes and Tribal organizations operating health facilities
pursuant to Public Law 93-638, such individually identifiable
health information relating to disabled children as may be
necessary for the purpose of carrying out its functions under
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1400 et seq.): Provided further, That none of the funds
provided that become available on October 1, 2025, may be
used for implementation of the Electronic Health Record
System or the Indian Health Care Improvement Fund: Provided
further, That none of the funds appropriated by this Act, or
any other Act, to the Indian Health Service for the
Electronic Health Record system shall be available for
obligation or expenditure for the selection or implementation
of a new Information Technology infrastructure system, unless
the Committees on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Senate are consulted 90 days in
advance of such obligation.

contract support costs

For payments to Tribes and Tribal organizations for
contract support costs associated with Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act agreements with
the Indian Health Service for fiscal year 2025, such sums as
may be necessary: Provided, That notwithstanding any other
provision of law, no amounts made available under this
heading shall be available for transfer to another budget
account: Provided further, That amounts obligated but not
expended by a Tribe or Tribal organization for contract
support costs for such agreements for

[[Page H4817]]

the current fiscal year shall be applied to contract support
costs due for such agreements for subsequent fiscal years.

payments for tribal leases

indian health facilities

For construction, repair, maintenance, demolition,
improvement, and equipment of health and related auxiliary
facilities, including quarters for personnel; preparation of
plans, specifications, and drawings; acquisition of sites,
purchase and erection of modular buildings, and purchases of
trailers; and for provision of domestic and community
sanitation facilities for Indians, as authorized by section 7
of the Act of August 5, 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2004a), the Indian
Self-Determination Act, and the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act, and for expenses necessary to carry out such
Acts and titles II and III of the Public Health Service Act
with respect to environmental health and facilities support
activities of the Indian Health Service, $344,010,000, to
remain available until expended, which shall be in addition
to funds previously appropriated under this heading that
became available on October 1, 2024; in addition,
$850,864,000, which shall become available on October 1,
2025, and remain available until expended: Provided, That
notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds
appropriated for the planning, design, construction,
renovation, or expansion of health facilities for the benefit
of an Indian Tribe or Tribes may be used to purchase land on
which such facilities will be located: Provided further,
That not to exceed $500,000 may be used for fiscal year 2026
by the Indian Health Service to purchase TRANSAM equipment
from the Department of Defense for distribution to the Indian
Health Service and Tribal facilities: Provided further, That
none of the funds appropriated to the Indian Health Service
may be used for sanitation facilities construction for new
homes funded with grants by the housing programs of the
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

administrative provisions--indian health service

Appropriations provided in this Act to the Indian Health
Service shall be available for services as authorized by 5
U.S.C. 3109 at rates not to exceed the per diem rate
equivalent to the maximum rate payable for senior-level
positions under 5 U.S.C. 5376; hire of passenger motor
vehicles and aircraft; purchase of medical equipment;
purchase of reprints; purchase, renovation, and erection of
modular buildings and renovation of existing facilities;
payments for telephone service in private residences in the
field, when authorized under regulations approved by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services; uniforms, or
allowances therefor as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5901-5902; and
for expenses of attendance at meetings that relate to the
functions or activities of the Indian Health Service:
Provided, That in accordance with the provisions of the
Indian Health Care Improvement Act, non-Indian patients may
be extended health care at all Tribally administered or
Indian Health Service facilities, subject to charges, and the
proceeds along with funds recovered under the Federal Medical
Care Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. 2651-2653) shall be credited to
the account of the facility providing the service and shall
be available without fiscal year limitation: Provided
further, That notwithstanding any other law or regulation,
funds transferred from the Department of Housing and Urban
Development to the Indian Health Service shall be
administered under Public Law 86-121, the Indian Sanitation
Facilities Act and Public Law 93-638: Provided further, That
funds appropriated to the Indian Health Service in this Act,
except those used for administrative and program direction
purposes, shall not be subject to limitations directed at
curtailing Federal travel and transportation: Provided
further, That none of the funds made available to the Indian
Health Service in this Act shall be used for any assessments
or charges by the Department of Health and Human Services
unless such assessments or charges are identified in the
budget justification and provided in this Act, or approved by
the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations through the
reprogramming process: Provided further, That
notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds previously
or herein made available to a Tribe or Tribal organization
through a contract, grant, or agreement authorized by title I
or title V of the Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act of 1975 (25 U.S.C. 450et seq.), may be
deobligated and reobligated to a self-determination contract
under title I, or a self-governance agreement under title V
of such Act and thereafter shall remain available to the
Tribe or Tribal organization without fiscal year limitation:
Provided further, That none of the funds made available to
the Indian Health Service in this Act shall be used to
implement the final rule published in the Federal Register on
September 16, 1987, by the Department of Health and Human
Services, relating to the eligibility for the health care
services of the Indian Health Service until the Indian Health
Service has submitted a budget request reflecting the
increased costs associated with the proposed final rule, and
such request has been included in an appropriations Act and
enacted into law: Provided further, That with respect to
functions transferred by the Indian Health Service to Tribes
or Tribal organizations, the Indian Health Service is
authorized to provide goods and services to those entities on
a reimbursable basis, including payments in advance with
subsequent adjustment, and the reimbursements received
therefrom, along with the funds received from those entities
pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination Act, may be
credited to the same or subsequent appropriation account from
which the funds were originally derived, with such amounts to
remain available until expended: Provided further, That
reimbursements for training, technical assistance, or
services provided by the Indian Health Service will contain
total costs, including direct, administrative, and overhead
costs associated with the provision of goods, services, or
technical assistance: Provided further, That the Indian
Health Service may provide to civilian medical personnel
serving in hospitals operated by the Indian Health Service
housing allowances equivalent to those that would be provided
to members of the Commissioned Corps of the United States
Public Health Service serving in similar positions at such
hospitals: Provided further, That the appropriation
structure for the Indian Health Service may not be altered
without advance notification to the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations.

National Institutes of Health

national institute of environmental health sciences

For necessary expenses for the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences in carrying out activities set
forth in section 311(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C.
9660(a)) and section 126(g) of the Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act of 1986, $75,000,000.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

toxic substances and environmental public health

For necessary expenses for the Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in carrying out activities set
forth in sections 104(i) and 111(c)(4) of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980 (CERCLA) and section 3019 of the Solid Waste Disposal
Act, $76,000,000: Provided, That notwithstanding any other
provision of law, in lieu of performing a health assessment
under section 104(i)(6) of CERCLA, the Administrator of ATSDR
may conduct other appropriate health studies, evaluations, or
activities, including, without limitation, biomedical
testing, clinical evaluations, medical monitoring, and
referral to accredited healthcare providers: Provided
further, That in performing any such health assessment or
health study, evaluation, or activity, the Administrator of
ATSDR shall not be bound by the deadlines in section
104(i)(6)(A) of CERCLA: Provided further, That none of the
funds appropriated under this heading shall be available for
ATSDR to issue in excess of 40 toxicological profiles
pursuant to section 104(i) of CERCLA during fiscal year 2025,
and existing profiles may be updated as necessary.

OTHER RELATED AGENCIES

Executive Office of the President

council on environmental quality and office of environmental quality

For necessary expenses to continue functions assigned to
the Council on Environmental Quality and Office of
Environmental Quality pursuant to the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, the Environmental Quality Improvement Act
of 1970, and Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1977, and not to
exceed $750 for official reception and representation
expenses, $1,000,000: Provided, That notwithstanding section
202 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970, the
Council shall consist of one member, appointed by the
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,
serving as chairman and exercising all powers, functions, and
duties of the Council.

Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

salaries and expenses

For necessary expenses in carrying out activities pursuant
to section 112(r)(6) of the Clean Air Act, including hire of
passenger vehicles, uniforms or allowances therefor, as
authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5901-5902, rental of space, and for
services authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109 but at rates for
individuals not to exceed the per diem equivalent to the
maximum rate payable for senior level positions under 5
U.S.C. 5376, $13,824,000: Provided, That the Chemical Safety
and Hazard Investigation Board (Board) shall have not more
than three career Senior Executive Service positions:
Provided further, That notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the individual appointed to the position of Inspector
General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shall,
by virtue of such appointment, also hold the position of
Inspector General of the Board: Provided further, That
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Inspector
General of the Board shall utilize personnel of the Office of
Inspector General of EPA in performing the duties of the
Inspector General of the Board, and shall not appoint any
individuals to positions within the Board.

Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation

salaries and expenses

For necessary expenses of the Office of Navajo and Hopi
Indian Relocation as authorized by Public Law 93-531,
$3,060,000, to remain available until expended, which shall
be derived from unobligated balances from prior year
appropriations available under this heading: Provided,

[[Page H4818]]

That funds provided in this or any other appropriations Act
are to be used to relocate eligible individuals and groups
including evictees from District 6, Hopi-partitioned lands
residents, those in significantly substandard housing, and
all others certified as eligible and not included in the
preceding categories: Provided further, That none of the
funds contained in this or any other Act may be used by the
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation to evict any
single Navajo or Navajo family who, as of November 30, 1985,
was physically domiciled on the lands partitioned to the Hopi
Tribe unless a new or replacement home is provided for such
household: Provided further, That no relocatee will be
provided with more than one new or replacement home:
Provided further, That the Office shall relocate any
certified eligible relocatees who have selected and received
an approved homesite on the Navajo reservation or selected a
replacement residence off the Navajo reservation or on the
land acquired pursuant to section 11 of Public Law 93-531 (88
Stat. 1716).

Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts
Development

payment to the institute

For payment to the Institute of American Indian and Alaska
Native Culture and Arts Development, as authorized by part A
of title XV of Public Law 99-498 (20 U.S.C. 4411 et seq.),
$13,125,000, which shall become available on July 1, 2025,
and shall remain available until September 30, 2026.

Smithsonian Institution

salaries and expenses

For necessary expenses of the Smithsonian Institution, as
authorized by law, including research in the fields of art,
science, and history; development, preservation, and
documentation of the National Collections; presentation of
public exhibits and performances; collection, preparation,
dissemination, and exchange of information and publications;
conduct of education, training, and museum assistance
programs; maintenance, alteration, operation, lease
agreements of no more than 30 years, and protection of
buildings, facilities, and approaches; not to exceed $100,000
for services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109; and purchase,
rental, repair, and cleaning of uniforms for employees,
$837,802,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026,
except as otherwise provided herein; of which not to exceed
$27,000,000 for the instrumentation program, collections
acquisition, exhibition reinstallation, Smithsonian American
Women's History Museum, National Museum of the American
Latino, and the repatriation of skeletal remains program
shall remain available until expended; and including such
funds as may be necessary to support American overseas
research centers: Provided, That funds appropriated herein
are available for advance payments to independent contractors
performing research services or participating in official
Smithsonian presentations: Provided further, That the
Smithsonian Institution may expend Federal appropriations
designated in this Act for lease or rent payments, as rent
payable to the Smithsonian Institution, and such rent
payments may be deposited into the general trust funds of the
Institution to be available as trust funds for expenses
associated with the purchase of a portion of the building at
600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, to the extent that
federally supported activities will be housed there:
Provided further, That the use of such amounts in the general
trust funds of the Institution for such purpose shall not be
construed as Federal debt service for, a Federal guarantee
of, a transfer of risk to, or an obligation of the Federal
Government: Provided further, That no appropriated funds may
be used directly to service debt which is incurred to finance
the costs of acquiring a portion of the building at 600
Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, or of planning,
designing, and constructing improvements to such building:
Provided further, That any agreement entered into by the
Smithsonian Institution for the sale of its ownership
interest, or any portion thereof, in such building so
acquired may not take effect until the expiration of a 30 day
period which begins on the date on which the Secretary of the
Smithsonian submits to the Committees on Appropriations of
the House of Representatives and Senate, the Committees on
House Administration and Transportation and Infrastructure of
the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Rules and
Administration of the Senate a report, as outlined in the
explanatory statement described in section 4 of the Further
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-94; 133
Stat. 2536) on the intended sale.

facilities capital

For necessary expenses of repair, revitalization, and
alteration of facilities owned or occupied by the Smithsonian
Institution, by contract or otherwise, as authorized by
section 2 of the Act of August 22, 1949 (63 Stat. 623), and
for construction, including necessary personnel,
$121,913,000, to remain available until expended, of which
not to exceed $10,000 shall be for services as authorized by
5 U.S.C. 3109.

National Gallery of Art

salaries and expenses

For the upkeep and operations of the National Gallery of
Art, the protection and care of the works of art therein, and
administrative expenses incident thereto, as authorized by
the Act of March 24, 1937 (50 Stat. 51), as amended by the
public resolution of April 13, 1939 (Public Resolution 9,
76th Congress), including services as authorized by 5 U.S.C.
3109; payment in advance when authorized by the treasurer of
the Gallery for membership in library, museum, and art
associations or societies whose publications or services are
available to members only, or to members at a price lower
than to the general public; purchase, repair, and cleaning of
uniforms for guards, and uniforms, or allowances therefor,
for other employees as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5901-
5902); purchase or rental of devices and services for
protecting buildings and contents thereof, and maintenance,
alteration, improvement, and repair of buildings, approaches,
and grounds; and purchase of services for restoration and
repair of works of art for the National Gallery of Art by
contracts made, without advertising, with individuals, firms,
or organizations at such rates or prices and under such terms
and conditions as the Gallery may deem proper, $171,050,000,
to remain available until September 30, 2026.

repair, restoration and renovation of buildings

(including transfer of funds)

For necessary expenses of repair, restoration, and
renovation of buildings, grounds and facilities owned or
occupied by the National Gallery of Art, by contract or
otherwise, for operating lease agreements of no more than 10
years, that address space needs created by the ongoing
renovations in the Master Facilities Plan, as authorized,
$17,266,000, to remain available until expended: Provided,
That of this amount, $5,651,000 shall be available for the
completion of an off-site art storage facility in partnership
with the Smithsonian Institution and may be transferred to
the Smithsonian Institution for such purposes: Provided
further, That contracts awarded for environmental systems,
protection systems, and exterior repair or renovation of
buildings of the National Gallery of Art may be negotiated
with selected contractors and awarded on the basis of
contractor qualifications as well as price.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

operations and maintenance

For necessary expenses for the operation, maintenance, and
security of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts, $32,000,000, to remain available until September 30,
2026.

capital repair and restoration

For necessary expenses for capital repair and restoration
of the existing features of the building and site of the John
F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, $6,000,000, to
remain available until expended.

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

salaries and expenses

For expenses necessary in carrying out the provisions of
the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Act of 1968 (82 Stat. 1356)
including hire of passenger vehicles and services as
authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, $12,000,000, to remain available
until September 30, 2026.

National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities

National Endowment for the Arts

grants and administration

For necessary expenses to carry out the National Foundation
on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, $203,895,000
shall be available to the National Endowment for the Arts for
the support of projects and productions in the arts,
including arts education and public outreach activities,
through assistance to organizations and individuals pursuant
to section 5 of the Act, for program support, and for
administering the functions of the Act, to remain available
until expended.

National Endowment for the Humanities

grants and administration

For necessary expenses to carry out the National Foundation
on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, $203,895,000, to
remain available until expended, of which $195,645,000 shall
be available for support of activities in the humanities,
pursuant to section 7(c) of the Act and for administering the
functions of the Act; and $8,250,000 shall be available to
carry out the matching grants program pursuant to section
10(a)(2) of the Act, including $6,250,000 for the purposes of
section 7(h): Provided, That appropriations for carrying out
section 10(a)(2) shall be available for obligation only in
such amounts as may be equal to the total amounts of gifts,
bequests, devises of money, and other property accepted by
the chairman or by grantees of the National Endowment for the
Humanities under the provisions of sections 11(a)(2)(B) and
11(a)(3)(B) during the current and preceding fiscal years for
which equal amounts have not previously been appropriated.

Administrative Provisions

None of the funds appropriated to the National Foundation
on the Arts and the Humanities may be used to process any
grant or contract documents which do not include the text of
18 U.S.C. 1913: Provided, That none of the funds
appropriated to the National Foundation on the Arts and the
Humanities may be used for official reception and
representation expenses: Provided further, That funds from
nonappropriated sources may be used as necessary for official
reception and representation expenses: Provided further,
That the Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts
may approve grants of up to $10,000, if in the aggregate the
amount of such grants does not exceed 5 percent of the sums
appropriated for grantmaking purposes per year: Provided
further, That such small grant actions are taken pursuant to
the terms of an expressed and direct delegation of authority
from the National Council on the Arts to the Chairperson.

Commission of Fine Arts

salaries and expenses

For expenses of the Commission of Fine Arts under chapter
91 of title 40, United States Code, $3,600,000: Provided,
That the Commission is authorized to charge fees to cover the
full costs of

[[Page H4819]]

its publications, and such fees shall be credited to this
account as an offsetting collection, to remain available
until expended without further appropriation: Provided
further, That the Commission is authorized to accept gifts,
including objects, papers, artwork, drawings and artifacts,
that pertain to the history and design of the Nation's
Capital or the history and activities of the Commission of
Fine Arts, for the purpose of artistic display, study, or
education: Provided further, That one-tenth of one percent
of the funds provided under this heading may be used for
official reception and representation expenses.

national capital arts and cultural affairs

For necessary expenses as authorized by Public Law 99-190
(20 U.S.C. 956a), $4,950,000.

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

salaries and expenses

For necessary expenses of the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation (Public Law 89-665), $8,375,000.

National Capital Planning Commission

salaries and expenses

For necessary expenses of the National Capital Planning
Commission under chapter 87 of title 40, United States Code,
including services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109,
$8,700,000: Provided, That one-quarter of 1 percent of the
funds provided under this heading may be used for official
reception and representational expenses associated with
hosting international visitors engaged in the planning and
physical development of world capitals.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

holocaust memorial museum

For expenses of the Holocaust Memorial Museum, as
authorized by Public Law 106-292 (36 U.S.C. 2301-2310),
$65,231,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026, of
which $1,000,000 shall remain available until September 30,
2027, for the Museum's equipment replacement program; and of
which $4,000,000 for the Museum's repair and rehabilitation
program and $1,264,000 for the Museum's outreach initiatives
program shall remain available until expended.

United States Semiquincentennial Commission

salaries and expenses

For necessary expenses of the United States
Semiquincentennial Commission to plan and coordinate
observances and activities associated with the 250th
anniversary of the founding of the United States, as
authorized by Public Law 116-282, the technical amendments to
Public Law 114-196, $15,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2026.

TITLE IV

GENERAL PROVISIONS

(including transfers and rescission of funds)

restriction on use of funds

Sec. 401. No part of any appropriation contained in this
Act shall be available for any activity or the publication or
distribution of literature that in any way tends to promote
public support or opposition to any legislative proposal on
which Congressional action is not complete other than to
communicate to Members of Congress as described in 18 U.S.C.
1913.

obligation of appropriations

Sec. 402. No part of any appropriation contained in this
Act shall remain available for obligation beyond the current
fiscal year unless expressly so provided herein.

disclosure of administrative expenses

Sec. 403. The amount and basis of estimated overhead
charges, deductions, reserves, or holdbacks, including
working capital fund charges, from programs, projects,
activities and subactivities to support government-wide,
departmental, agency, or bureau administrative functions or
headquarters, regional, or central operations shall be
presented in annual budget justifications and subject to
approval by the Committees on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Senate. Changes to such estimates
shall be presented to the Committees on Appropriations for
approval.

mining applications

Sec. 404. (a) Limitation of Funds.--None of the funds
appropriated or otherwise made available pursuant to this Act
shall be obligated or expended to accept or process
applications for a patent for any mining or mill site claim
located under the general mining laws.
(b) Exceptions.--Subsection (a) shall not apply if the
Secretary of the Interior determines that, for the claim
concerned: (1) a patent application was filed with the
Secretary on or before September 30, 1994; and (2) all
requirements established under sections 2325 and 2326 of the
Revised Statutes (30 U.S.C. 29 and 30) for vein or lode
claims, sections 2329, 2330, 2331, and 2333 of the Revised
Statutes (30 U.S.C. 35, 36, and 37) for placer claims, and
section 2337 of the Revised Statutes (30 U.S.C. 42) for mill
site claims, as the case may be, were fully complied with by
the applicant by that date.
(c) Report.--On September 30, 2026, the Secretary of the
Interior shall file with the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations and the Committee on Natural Resources of the
House and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate a report on actions taken by the Department under
the plan submitted pursuant to section 314(c) of the
Department of the Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1997 (Public Law 104-208).
(d) Mineral Examinations.--In order to process patent
applications in a timely and responsible manner, upon the
request of a patent applicant, the Secretary of the Interior
shall allow the applicant to fund a qualified third-party
contractor to be selected by the Director of the Bureau of
Land Management to conduct a mineral examination of the
mining claims or mill sites contained in a patent application
as set forth in subsection (b). The Bureau of Land Management
shall have the sole responsibility to choose and pay the
third-party contractor in accordance with the standard
procedures employed by the Bureau of Land Management in the
retention of third-party contractors.

contract support costs, prior year limitation

Sec. 405. Sections 405 and 406 of division F of the
Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015
(Public Law 113-235) shall continue in effect in fiscal year
2025.

contract support costs, fiscal year 2025 limitation

Sec. 406. Amounts provided by this Act for fiscal year
2025 under the headings ``Department of Health and Human
Services, Indian Health Service, Contract Support Costs'' and
``Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs and
Bureau of Indian Education, Contract Support Costs'' are the
only amounts available for contract support costs arising out
of self-determination or self-governance contracts, grants,
compacts, or annual funding agreements for fiscal year 2025
with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian
Education, and the Indian Health Service: Provided, That
such amounts provided by this Act are not available for
payment of claims for contract support costs for prior years,
or for repayments of payments for settlements or judgments
awarding contract support costs for prior years.

forest management plans

Sec. 407. The Secretary of Agriculture shall not be
considered to be in violation of section 6(f)(5)(A) of the
Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974
(16 U.S.C. 1604(f)(5)(A)) solely because more than 15 years
have passed without revision of the plan for a unit of the
National Forest System. Nothing in this section exempts the
Secretary from any other requirement of the Forest and
Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act (16 U.S.C. 1600 et
seq.) or any other law: Provided, That if the Secretary is
not acting expeditiously and in good faith, within the
funding available, to revise a plan for a unit of the
National Forest System, this section shall be void with
respect to such plan and a court of proper jurisdiction may
order completion of the plan on an accelerated basis.

prohibition within national monuments

Sec. 408. No funds provided in this Act may be expended to
conduct preleasing, leasing and related activities under
either the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) or the
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.)
within the boundaries of a National Monument established
pursuant to the Act of June 8, 1906 (16 U.S.C. 431 et seq.)
as such boundary existed on January 20, 2001, except where
such activities are allowed under the Presidential
proclamation establishing such monument.

limitation on takings

Sec. 409. Unless otherwise provided herein, no funds
appropriated in this Act for the acquisition of lands or
interests in lands may be expended for the filing of
declarations of taking or complaints in condemnation without
the approval of the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations: Provided, That this provision shall not
apply to funds appropriated to implement the Everglades
National Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989, or to
funds appropriated for Federal assistance to the State of
Florida to acquire lands for Everglades restoration purposes.

prohibition on no-bid contracts

Sec. 410. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act to executive branch agencies may be
used to enter into any Federal contract unless such contract
is entered into in accordance with the requirements of
Chapter 33 of title 41, United States Code, or Chapter 137 of
title 10, United States Code, and the Federal Acquisition
Regulation, unless--
(1) Federal law specifically authorizes a contract to be
entered into without regard for these requirements, including
formula grants for States, or federally recognized Indian
Tribes;
(2) such contract is authorized by the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (Public Law 93-
638, 25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) or by any other Federal laws
that specifically authorize a contract within an Indian Tribe
as defined in section 4(e) of that Act (25 U.S.C. 5304(e));
or
(3) such contract was awarded prior to the date of
enactment of this Act.

posting of reports

Sec. 411. (a) Any agency receiving funds made available in
this Act, shall, subject to subsections (b) and (c), post on
the public website of that agency any report required to be
submitted by the Congress in this or any other Act, upon the
determination by the head of the agency that it shall serve
the national interest.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply to a report if--
(1) the public posting of the report compromises national
security; or
(2) the report contains proprietary information.
(c) The head of the agency posting such report shall do so
only after such report has been made available to the
requesting Committee or Committees of Congress for no less
than 45 days.

national endowment for the arts grant guidelines

Sec. 412. Of the funds provided to the National Endowment
for the Arts--
(1) The Chairperson shall only award a grant to an
individual if such grant is awarded to such individual for a
literature fellowship, National Heritage Fellowship, or
American Jazz Masters Fellowship.

[[Page H4820]]

(2) The Chairperson shall establish procedures to ensure
that no funding provided through a grant, except a grant made
to a State or local arts agency, or regional group, may be
used to make a grant to any other organization or individual
to conduct activity independent of the direct grant
recipient. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit payments
made in exchange for goods and services.
(3) No grant shall be used for seasonal support to a group,
unless the application is specific to the contents of the
season, including identified programs or projects.

national endowment for the arts program priorities

Sec. 413. (a) In providing services or awarding financial
assistance under the National Foundation on the Arts and the
Humanities Act of 1965 from funds appropriated under this
Act, the Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts
shall ensure that priority is given to providing services or
awarding financial assistance for projects, productions,
workshops, or programs that serve underserved populations.
(b) In this section:
(1) The term ``underserved population'' means a population
of individuals, including urban minorities, who have
historically been outside the purview of arts and humanities
programs due to factors such as a high incidence of income
below the poverty line or to geographic isolation.
(2) The term ``poverty line'' means the poverty line (as
defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and revised
annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the Community
Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2))) applicable to a
family of the size involved.
(c) In providing services and awarding financial assistance
under the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act
of 1965 with funds appropriated by this Act, the Chairperson
of the National Endowment for the Arts shall ensure that
priority is given to providing services or awarding financial
assistance for projects, productions, workshops, or programs
that will encourage public knowledge, education,
understanding, and appreciation of the arts.
(d) With funds appropriated by this Act to carry out
section 5 of the National Foundation on the Arts and
Humanities Act of 1965--
(1) the Chairperson shall establish a grant category for
projects, productions, workshops, or programs that are of
national impact or availability or are able to tour several
States;
(2) the Chairperson shall not make grants exceeding 15
percent, in the aggregate, of such funds to any single State,
excluding grants made under the authority of paragraph (1);
(3) the Chairperson shall report to the Congress annually
and by State, on grants awarded by the Chairperson in each
grant category under section 5 of such Act; and
(4) the Chairperson shall encourage the use of grants to
improve and support community-based music performance and
education.

status of balances of appropriations

Sec. 414. The Department of the Interior, the
Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service, and the
Indian Health Service shall provide the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate
quarterly reports on the status of balances of appropriations
including all uncommitted, committed, and unobligated funds
in each program and activity within 60 days of enactment of
this Act.

extension of grazing permits

Sec. 415. The terms and conditions of section 325 of
Public Law 108-108 (117 Stat. 1307), regarding grazing
permits issued by the Forest Service on any lands not subject
to administration under section 402 of the Federal Lands
Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1752), shall remain in
effect for fiscal year 2025.

funding prohibition

Sec. 416. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act
may be used to maintain or establish a computer network
unless such network is designed to block access to
pornography websites.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds
necessary for any Federal, State, Tribal, or local law
enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal
investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities.

humane transfer and treatment of animals

Sec. 417. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to land
administered by the Bureau of Land Management, or the
Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to land administered
by the Forest Service (referred to in this section as the
``Secretary concerned''), may transfer excess wild horses and
burros that have been removed from land administered by the
Secretary concerned to other Federal, State, and local
government agencies for use as work animals.
(b) The Secretary concerned may make a transfer under
subsection (a) immediately on the request of a Federal,
State, or local government agency.
(c) An excess wild horse or burro transferred under
subsection (a) shall lose status as a wild free-roaming horse
or burro (as defined in section 2 of Public Law 92-195
(commonly known as the ``Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros
Act'') (16 U.S.C. 1332)).
(d) A Federal, State, or local government agency receiving
an excess wild horse or burro pursuant to subsection (a)
shall not--
(1) destroy the horse or burro in a manner that results in
the destruction of the horse or burro into a commercial
product;
(2) sell or otherwise transfer the horse or burro in a
manner that results in the destruction of the horse or burro
for processing into a commercial product; or
(3) euthanize the horse or burro, except on the
recommendation of a licensed veterinarian in a case of severe
injury, illness, or advanced age.
(e) Amounts appropriated by this Act shall not be available
for--
(1) the destruction of any healthy, unadopted, and wild
horse or burro under the jurisdiction of the Secretary
concerned (including a contractor); or
(2) the sale of a wild horse or burro that results in the
destruction of the wild horse or burro for processing into a
commercial product.

forest service facility realignment and enhancement authorization
extension

Sec. 418. Section 503(f) of Public Law 109-54 (16 U.S.C.
580d note) shall be applied by substituting ``September 30,
2025'' for ``September 30, 2019''.

use of american iron and steel

Sec. 419. (a)(1) None of the funds made available by a
State water pollution control revolving fund as authorized by
section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-
12) shall be used for a project for the construction,
alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public water system
or treatment works unless all of the iron and steel products
used in the project are produced in the United States.
(2) In this section, the term ``iron and steel'' products
means the following products made primarily of iron or steel:
lined or unlined pipes and fittings, manhole covers and other
municipal castings, hydrants, tanks, flanges, pipe clamps and
restraints, valves, structural steel, reinforced precast
concrete, and construction materials.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply in any case or category
of cases in which the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency (in this section referred to as the
``Administrator'') finds that--
(1) applying subsection (a) would be inconsistent with the
public interest;
(2) iron and steel products are not produced in the United
States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and
of a satisfactory quality; or
(3) inclusion of iron and steel products produced in the
United States will increase the cost of the overall project
by more than 25 percent.
(c) If the Administrator receives a request for a waiver
under this section, the Administrator shall make available to
the public on an informal basis a copy of the request and
information available to the Administrator concerning the
request, and shall allow for informal public input on the
request for at least 15 days prior to making a finding based
on the request. The Administrator shall make the request and
accompanying information available by electronic means,
including on the official public Internet Web site of the
Environmental Protection Agency.
(d) This section shall be applied in a manner consistent
with United States obligations under international
agreements.
(e) The Administrator may retain up to 0.25 percent of the
funds appropriated in this Act for the Clean and Drinking
Water State Revolving Funds for carrying out the provisions
described in subsection (a)(1) for management and oversight
of the requirements of this section.

local cooperator training agreements and transfers of excess equipment
and supplies for wildfires

Sec. 420. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to
enter into grants and cooperative agreements with volunteer
fire departments, rural fire departments, rangeland fire
protection associations, and similar organizations to provide
for wildland fire training and equipment, including supplies
and communication devices. Notwithstanding section 121(c) of
title 40, United States Code, or section 521 of title 40,
United States Code, the Secretary is further authorized to
transfer title to excess Department of the Interior
firefighting equipment no longer needed to carry out the
functions of the Department's wildland fire management
program to such organizations.

recreation fees

Sec. 421. Section 810 of the Federal Lands Recreation
Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6809) shall be applied by
substituting ``October 1, 2026'' for ``September 30, 2019''.

reprogramming guidelines

Sec. 422. None of the funds made available in this Act, in
this and prior fiscal years, may be reprogrammed without the
advance approval of the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations in accordance with the reprogramming
procedures contained in the report accompanying this Act.

local contractors

Sec. 423. Section 412 of division E of Public Law 112-74
shall be applied by substituting ``fiscal year 2025'' for
``fiscal year 2019''.

shasta-trinity marina fee authority authorization extension

Sec. 424. Section 422 of division F of Public Law 110-161
(121 Stat 1844), as amended, shall be applied by substituting
``fiscal year 2025'' for ``fiscal year 2019''.

interpretive association authorization extension

Sec. 425. Section 426 of division G of Public Law 113-76
(16 U.S.C. 565a-1 note) shall be applied by substituting
``September 30, 2025'' for ``September 30, 2019''.

forest botanical products fee collection authorization extension

Sec. 426. Section 339 of the Department of the Interior
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 (as enacted
into law by Public Law 106-113; 16 U.S.C. 528 note), as
amended by section 335(6) of Public Law 108-108 and section
432 of Public Law 113-76, shall be applied by substituting
``fiscal year 2025'' for ``fiscal year 2019''.

[[Page H4821]]

tribal leases

Sec. 427. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
in the case of any lease under section 105(l) of the Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5324(l)), the initial lease term shall commence no earlier
than the date of receipt of the lease proposal.
(b) The Secretaries of the Interior and Health and Human
Services shall, jointly or separately, during fiscal year
2025 consult with Tribes and Tribal organizations through
public solicitation and other means regarding the
requirements for leases under section 105(l) of the Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5324(l)) on how to implement a consistent and transparent
process for the payment of such leases.

forest ecosystem health and recovery fund

Sec. 428. The authority provided under the heading
``Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund'' in title I of
Public Law 111-88, as amended by section 117 of division F of
Public Law 113-235, shall be applied by substituting ``fiscal
year 2025'' for ``fiscal year 2020'' each place it appears.

allocation of projects, national parks and public land legacy
restoration fund and land and water conservation fund

Sec. 429. (a)(1) Within 45 days of enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of the Interior shall allocate amounts made
available from the National Parks and Public Land Legacy
Restoration Fund for fiscal year 2025 pursuant to subsection
(c) of section 200402 of title 54, United States Code, and as
provided in subsection (e) of such section of such title, to
the agencies of the Department of the Interior and the
Department of Agriculture specified, in the amounts
specified, for the stations and unit names specified, and for
the projects and activities specified in the table titled
``Allocation of Funds: National Parks and Public Land Legacy
Restoration Fund Fiscal Year 2025'' in the report
accompanying this Act.
(2) Within 45 days of enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, as
appropriate, shall allocate amounts made available for
expenditure from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for
fiscal year 2025 pursuant to subsection (a) of section 200303
of title 54, United States Code, to the agencies and accounts
specified, in the amounts specified, and for the projects and
activities specified in the table titled ``Allocation of
Funds: Land and Water Conservation Fund Fiscal Year 2025'' in
the report accompanying this Act.
(b) Except as otherwise provided by subsection (c) of this
section, neither the President nor his designee may allocate
any amounts that are made available for any fiscal year under
subsection (c) of section 200402 of title 54, United States
Code, or subsection (a) of section 200303 of title 54, United
States Code, other than in amounts and for projects and
activities that are allocated by subsections (a)(1) and
(a)(2) of this section: Provided, That in any fiscal year,
the matter preceding this proviso shall not apply to the
allocation of amounts for continuing administration of
programs allocated funds from the National Parks and Public
Land Legacy Restoration Fund or the Land and Water
Conservation Fund, which may be allocated only in amounts
that are no more than the allocation for such purposes in
subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section.
(c) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture may reallocate amounts from each agency's
``Contingency Fund'' line in the table titled ``Allocation of
Funds: National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund
Fiscal Year 2025'' to any project funded by the National
Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund within the same
agency, from any fiscal year, that experienced a funding
deficiency due to unforeseen cost overruns, in accordance
with the following requirements:
(1) ``Contingency Fund'' amounts may only be reallocated if
there is a risk to project completion resulting from
unforeseen cost overruns;
(2) ``Contingency Fund'' amounts may only be reallocated
for cost of adjustments and changes within the original scope
of effort for projects funded by the National Parks and
Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund; and
(3) The Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of
Agriculture must provide written notification to the
Committees on Appropriations 30 days before taking any
actions authorized by this subsection if the amount
reallocated from the ``Contingency Fund'' line for a project
is projected to be 10 percent or greater than the following,
as applicable:
(A) The amount allocated to that project in the table
titled ``Allocation of Funds: National Parks and Public Land
Legacy Restoration Fund Fiscal Year 2025'' in the report
accompanying this Act; or
(B) The initial estimate in the most recent report
submitted, prior to enactment of this Act, to the Committees
on Appropriations pursuant to section 430(e) of division E of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-
42).
(d)(1) Concurrent with the annual budget submission of the
President for fiscal year 2026, the Secretary of the Interior
and the Secretary of Agriculture shall each submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
and the Senate project data sheets for the projects in the
``Submission of Annual List of Projects to Congress''
required by section 200402(h) of title 54, United States
Code: Provided, That the ``Submission of Annual List of
Projects to Congress'' must include a ``Contingency Fund''
line for each agency within the allocations defined in
subsection (e) of section 200402 of title 54, United States
Code: Provided further, That in the event amounts allocated
by this Act or any prior Act for the National Parks and
Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund are no longer needed to
complete a specified project, such amounts may be reallocated
in such submission to that agency's ``Contingency Fund''
line: Provided further, That any proposals to change the
scope of or terminate a previously approved project must be
clearly identified in such submission.
(2)(A) Concurrent with the annual budget submission of the
President for fiscal year 2026, the Secretary of the Interior
and the Secretary of Agriculture shall each submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
and the Senate a list of supplementary allocations for
Federal land acquisition and Forest Legacy Projects at the
National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service
that are in addition to the ``Submission of Cost Estimates''
required by section 200303(c)(1) of title 54, United States
Code, that are prioritized and detailed by account, program,
and project, and that total no less than half the full amount
allocated to each account for that land management Agency
under the allocations submitted under section 200303(c)(1) of
title 54, United States Code: Provided, That in the event
amounts allocated by this Act or any prior Act pursuant to
subsection (a) of section 200303 of title 54, United States
Code are no longer needed because a project has been
completed or can no longer be executed, such amounts must be
clearly identified if proposed for reallocation in the annual
budget submission.
(B) The Federal land acquisition and Forest Legacy projects
in the ``Submission of Cost Estimates'' required by section
200303(c)(1) of title 54, United States Code, and on the list
of supplementary allocations required by subparagraph (A)
shall be comprised only of projects for which a willing
seller has been identified and for which an appraisal or
market research has been initiated.
(C) Concurrent with the annual budget submission of the
President for fiscal year 2026, the Secretary of the Interior
and the Secretary of Agriculture shall each submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
and the Senate project data sheets in the same format and
containing the same level of detailed information that is
found on such sheets in the Budget Justifications annually
submitted by the Department of the Interior with the
President's Budget for the projects in the ``Submission of
Cost Estimates'' required by section 200303(c)(1) of title
54, United States Code, and in the same format and containing
the same level of detailed information that is found on such
sheets submitted to the Committees pursuant to section 427 of
division D of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2020 (Public Law 116-94) for the list of supplementary
allocations required by subparagraph (A).
(e) The Department of the Interior and the Department of
Agriculture shall provide the Committees on Appropriations of
the House of Representatives and Senate quarterly reports on
the status of balances of projects and activities funded by
the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund
for amounts allocated pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of this
section and the status of balances of projects and activities
funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund for amounts
allocated pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of this section,
including all uncommitted, committed, and unobligated funds,
and, for amounts allocated pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of
this section, National Parks and Public Land Legacy
Restoration Fund amounts reallocated pursuant to subsection
(c) of this section.

policies relating to biomass energy

Sec. 430. To support the key role that forests in the
United States can play in addressing the energy needs of the
United States, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of
Agriculture, and the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency shall, consistent with their missions,
jointly--
(1) ensure that Federal policy relating to forest
bioenergy--
(A) is consistent across all Federal departments and
agencies; and
(B) recognizes the full benefits of the use of forest
biomass for energy, conservation, and responsible forest
management; and
(2) establish clear and simple policies for the use of
forest biomass as an energy solution, including policies
that--
(A) reflect the carbon neutrality of forest bioenergy and
recognize biomass as a renewable energy source, provided the
use of forest biomass for energy production does not cause
conversion of forests to non-forest use;
(B) encourage private investment throughout the forest
biomass supply chain, including in--
(i) working forests;
(ii) harvesting operations;
(iii) forest improvement operations;
(iv) forest bioenergy production;
(v) wood products manufacturing; or
(vi) paper manufacturing;
(C) encourage forest management to improve forest health;
and
(D) recognize State initiatives to produce and use forest
biomass.

small remote incinerators

Sec. 431. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used to implement or enforce the regulation issued on
March 21, 2011 at 40 CFR part 60 subparts CCCC and DDDD with
respect to units in the State of Alaska that are defined as
``small, remote incinerator'' units in those regulations and,
until a subsequent regulation is issued, the Administrator
shall implement the law and regulations in effect prior to
such date.

timber sale requirements

Sec. 432. No timber sale in Alaska's Region 10 shall be
advertised if the indicated rate is deficit (defined as the
value of the timber is not sufficient to cover all logging
and stumpage costs

[[Page H4822]]

and provide a normal profit and risk allowance under the
Forest Service's appraisal process) when appraised using a
residual value appraisal. The western red cedar timber from
those sales which is surplus to the needs of the domestic
processors in Alaska, shall be made available to domestic
processors in the contiguous 48 United States at prevailing
domestic prices. All additional western red cedar volume not
sold to Alaska or contiguous 48 United States domestic
processors may be exported to foreign markets at the election
of the timber sale holder. All Alaska yellow cedar may be
sold at prevailing export prices at the election of the
timber sale holder.

transfer authority to federal highway administration for the national
parks and public land legacy restoration fund

Sec. 433. Funds made available or allocated in this Act to
the Department of the Interior or the Department of
Agriculture that are subject to the allocations and
limitations in 54 U.S.C. 200402(e) and prohibitions in 54
U.S.C. 200402(f) may be further allocated or reallocated to
the Federal Highway Administration for transportation
projects of the covered agencies defined in 54 U.S.C.
200401(2).

prohibition on use of funds

Sec. 434. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none
of the funds made available in this Act or any other Act may
be used to promulgate or implement any regulation requiring
the issuance of permits under title V of the Clean Air Act
(42 U.S.C. 7661 et seq.) for carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide,
water vapor, or methane emissions resulting from biological
processes associated with livestock production.

greenhouse gas reporting restrictions

Sec. 435. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none
of the funds made available in this or any other Act may be
used to implement any provision in a rule, if that provision
requires mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from
manure management systems.

funding prohibition

Sec. 436. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to regulate the lead content of
ammunition, ammunition components, or fishing tackle under
the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.) or
any other law.

firefighter pay cap

Sec. 437. Section 1701 of division B of the Extending
Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (5
U.S.C. 5547 note), as amended, is further amended by striking
``2021 or 2022 or 2023 or 2024'' each place it appears and
inserting ``calendar years 2021 through 2025''.

alaska native regional health entities authorization extension

Sec. 438. Section 424(a) of title IV of division G of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76)
shall be applied by substituting ``October 1, 2025'' for
``December 24, 2022''.

wildfire suppression funding and forest management act

Sec. 439. Section 104 of the Wildfire Suppression Funding
and Forest Management Activities Act (division O of Public
Law 115-141) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``90'' and inserting
``180''; and
(2) in paragraph (4) of subsection (b), by inserting the
following before the semi-colon: ``, and shall include an
accounting of any spending in the first two quarters of the
succeeding fiscal year that is attributable to suppression
operations in the fiscal year for which the report was
prepared''.

hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on federal land

Sec. 440. (a) None of the funds made available by this or
any other Act for any fiscal year may be used to prohibit the
use of or access to Federal land (as such term is defined in
section 3 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16
U.S.C. 6502)) for hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting
if such use or access--
(1) was not prohibited on such Federal land as of January
1, 2013; and
(2) was conducted in compliance with the resource
management plan (as defined in section 101 of such Act (16
U.S.C. 6511)) applicable to such Federal land as of January
1, 2013.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Secretary of the
Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture may temporarily
close, for a period not to exceed 30 days, Federal land
managed by the Secretary to hunting, fishing, or recreational
shooting if the Secretary determines that the temporary
closure is necessary to accommodate a special event or for
public safety reasons. The Secretary may extend a temporary
closure for one additional 90-day period only if the
Secretary determines the extension is necessary because of
extraordinary weather conditions or for public safety
reasons.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting
the authority, jurisdiction, or responsibility of the several
States to manage, control, or regulate fish and resident
wildlife under State law or regulations.

coastal barrier resources act

Sec. 441. Section 6(a) of the Coastal Barrier Resources
Act (16 U.S.C. 3505(a)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(7) Use of a sand source within a System unit by Federal
coastal storm risk management projects or their predecessor
projects that have used a System unit for sand to nourish
adjacent beaches outside the System pursuant to section 5 of
the Act of August 18, 1941 (commonly known as the `Flood
Control Act of 1941') (55 Stat. 650, chapter 377; 33 U.S.C.
701n) at least once between December 31, 2008, and December
31, 2023, in response to an emergency situation prior to
December 31, 2023.''

rescission of department of the interior funds

Sec. 442. The unobligated balances of amounts appropriated
or otherwise made available under section 50224 of Public Law
117-169 (commonly known as the ``Inflation Reduction Act of
2022'') are hereby rescinded.

executive order funding prohibition

Sec. 443. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce Executive Order
No. 13985 of January 20, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 7009, relating to
advancing racial equity and support for underserved
communities through the Federal Government), Executive Order
No. 14035 of June 25, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 34593, relating to
diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the
Federal workforce), or Executive Order No. 14091 of February
16, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 10825, relating to further advancing
racial equity and support for underserved communities through
the Federal Government).

masks and vaccine mandates

Sec. 444. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce any COVID-19
mask or vaccine mandates.

limitation

Sec. 445. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to carry out any program, project, or activity that
promotes or advances Critical Race Theory or any concept
associated with Critical Race Theory.

official flags

Sec. 446. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to fly or display a flag over a facility of a
Department or agency funded by this Act other than the flag
of the United States; the flag of a State, insular area, or
the District of Columbia; the flag of a Federally recognized
Tribal entity; the official flag of the Secretary of the
Interior; the official flag of a U.S. Department or agency;
or the POW/MIA flag.

marriage

Sec. 447. (a) In general.--Notwithstanding section 7 of
title 1, United States Code, section 1738C of title 28,
United States Code, or any other provision of law, none of
the funds provided by this Act, or previous appropriations
Acts, shall be used in whole or in part to take any
discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially,
on the basis that such person speaks, or acts, in accordance
with a sincerely held religious belief, or moral conviction,
that marriage is, or should be recognized as, a union of one
man and one woman.
(b) Discriminatory action defined.--As used in subsection
(a), a discriminatory action means any action taken by the
Federal Government to--
(1) alter in any way the Federal tax treatment of, or cause
any tax, penalty, or payment to be assessed against, or deny,
delay, or revoke an exemption from taxation under section
501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 of, any person
referred to in subsection (a);
(2) disallow a deduction for Federal tax purposes of any
charitable contribution made to or by such person;
(3) withhold, reduce the amount or funding for, exclude,
terminate, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, any Federal
grant, contract, subcontract, cooperative agreement,
guarantee, loan, scholarship, license, certification,
accreditation, employment, or other similar position or
status from or to such person;
(4) withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise make
unavailable or deny, any entitlement or benefit under a
Federal benefit program, including admission to, equal
treatment in, or eligibility for a degree from an educational
program, from or to such person; or
(5) withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise make
unavailable or deny access or an entitlement to Federal
property, facilities, educational institutions, speech fora
(including traditional, limited, and nonpublic fora), or
charitable fundraising campaigns from or to such person.
(c) Accreditation; Licensure; Certification.--The Federal
Government shall consider accredited, licensed, or certified
for purposes of Federal law any person that would be
accredited, licensed, or certified, respectively, for such
purposes but for a determination against such person wholly
or partially on the basis that the person speaks, or acts, in
accordance with a sincerely held religious belief or moral
conviction described in subsection (a).

american climate corps

Sec. 448. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for the American Climate Corps.

climate change executive orders

Sec. 449. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may
be used to implement any of the following executive orders:
(1) Executive Order No. 13990, relating to Protecting
Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science To
Tackle the Climate Crisis;
(2) Executive Order No. 14008, relating to Tackling the
Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad;
(3) Section 6 of Executive Order No. 14013, relating to
Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs To Resettle Refugees and
Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration;
(4) Executive Order No. 14030, relating to Climate-Related
Financial Risk;
(5) Executive Order 14037, relating to Strengthening
American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks;
(6) Executive Order No. 14057, relating to Catalyzing Clean
Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability;
(7) Executive Order No. 14082, relating to Implementation
of the Energy and Infrastructure

[[Page H4823]]

Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; and
(8) Executive Order No. 14096, relating to Revitalizing Our
Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All.

natural assets

Sec. 450. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to develop or implement guidance related to the
valuation of ecosystem and environmental services and natural
assets in Federal regulatory decision-making pursuant to
Executive Order 14072 (87 Fed. Reg. 24851, relating to
strengthening the Nation's forests, communities, and local
economies).

use of mining claims for ancillary activities

Sec. 451. Section 10101 of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1993 (30 U.S.C. 28f) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(e) Security of Tenure.--
``(1) In general.--
``(A) In general.--A claimant shall have the right to use,
occupy, and conduct operations on public land, with or
without the discovery of a valuable mineral deposit, if--
``(i) such claimant makes a timely payment of the location
fee required by section 10102 and the claim maintenance fee
required by subsection (a); or
``(ii) in the case of a claimant who qualifies for a waiver
under subsection (d), such claimant makes a timely payment of
the location fee and complies with the required assessment
work under the general mining laws.
``(B) Operations defined.--For the purposes of this
paragraph, the term `operations' means--
``(i) any activity or work carried out in connection with
prospecting, exploration, processing, discovery and
assessment, development, or extraction with respect to a
locatable mineral;
``(ii) the reclamation of any disturbed areas; and
``(iii) any other reasonably incident uses, whether on a
mining claim or not, including the construction and
maintenance of facilities, roads, transmission lines,
pipelines, and any other necessary infrastructure or means of
access on public land for support facilities.
``(2) Fulfillment of federal land policy and management
act.--A claimant that fulfills the requirements of this
section and section 10102 shall be deemed to satisfy the
requirements of any provision of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act that requires the payment of fair market value
to the United States for use of public lands and resources
relating to use of such lands and resources authorized by the
general mining laws.
``(3) Savings clause.--Nothing in this subsection may be
construed to diminish the rights of entry, use, and
occupancy, or any other right, of a claimant under the
general mining laws.''.

public land order 7917

Sec. 452. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to enforce Public Land Order 7917 (88
Fed. Reg. 6308 (January 31, 2023)).

mineral leases

Sec. 453. Notwithstanding any other provision of law and
not subject to further judicial review, not later than 30
days after the date of enactment of this Act the Secretary of
the Interior shall reinstate the hardrock mineral leases in
the Superior National Forest in the State of Minnesota issued
in 2019 and identified as MNES-01352 and MNES-01353.

social cost of carbon

Sec. 454. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to consider or incorporate the social
cost of carbon--
(1) as part of any cost-benefit analysis required or
performed pursuant to--
(A) any law;
(B) Executive Order No. 13990 (86 Fed. Reg. 7037; relating
to protecting public health and the environment and restoring
science to tackle the climate crisis);
(C) Executive Order No. 14094 (88 Fed. Reg. 21879; relating
to modernizing regulatory review);
(D) the Presidential Memorandum titled ``Modernizing
Regulatory Review'' issued by the President on January 20,
2021;
(E) any revisions to Office of Management and Budget
Circular A-4 proposed or finalized under Executive Order No.
14094; or
(F) ``Technical Support Document: Social Cost of Carbon,
Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim Estimates under Executive
Order 13990,'' published under the Interagency Working Group
on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases, in February of 2021;
(2) in any rulemaking;
(3) in the issuance of any guidance;
(4) in taking any other agency action; or
(5) as a justification for any rulemaking, guidance
document, or agency action.

incorporation by reference

Sec. 455. (a) The provisions of the following bills of the
118th Congress are hereby enacted into law:
(1) H.R. 548 (Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands
Reacquisition Act), as passed by the House of Representatives
on February 6, 2023.
(2) Title III of H.R. 7408 (America's Wildlife Habitat
Conservation Act) as ordered to be reported on April 16,
2024, by the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives.
(b) In publishing this Act in slip form and in the United
States Statutes at large pursuant to section 112 of title 1,
United States Code, the Archivist of the United States shall
include after the date of approval at the end an appendix
setting forth the text of the sections of the bills referred
to in subsection (a).

special base rates of pay for wildland firefighters

Sec. 456. (a) Subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5,
United States Code, is amended by inserting after section
5332 the following:

``Sec. 5332a. Special base rates of pay for wildland
firefighters

``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `firefighter' means an employee who--
``(A) is a firefighter within the meaning of section
8331(21) or section 8401(14);
``(B) in the case of an employee who holds a supervisory or
administrative position and is subject to subchapter III of
chapter 83, but who does not qualify to be considered a
firefighter within the meaning of section 8331(21), would
otherwise qualify if the employee had transferred directly to
that position after serving as a firefighter within the
meaning of that section;
``(C) in the case of an employee who holds a supervisory or
administrative position and is subject to chapter 84, but who
does not qualify to be considered a firefighter within the
meaning of section 8401(14), would otherwise qualify if the
employee had transferred directly to that position after
performing duties described in section 8401(14)(A) for at
least 3 years; or
``(D) in the case of an employee who is not subject to
subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84, holds a position
that the Office of Personnel Management determines would
satisfy subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) if the employee were
subject to subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84;
``(2) the term `General Schedule base rate' means an annual
rate of basic pay established under section 5332 before any
additions, such as a locality-based comparability payment
under section 5304 or 5304a or a special rate supplement
under section 5305;
``(3) the term `special base rate' means an annual rate of
basic pay payable to a wildland firefighter, before any
additions or reductions, that replaces the General Schedule
base rate otherwise applicable to the wildland firefighter
and that is administered in the same manner as a General
Schedule base rate; and
``(4) the term `wildland firefighter' means a firefighter--
``(A) who is employed by the Forest Service or the
Department of the Interior; and
``(B) the duties of the position of whom primarily relate
to fires occurring in forests, range lands, or other
wildlands, as opposed to structural fires.
``(b) Special Base Rates of Pay.--
``(1) Entitlement to special rate.--Notwithstanding section
5332, a wildland firefighter is entitled to a special base
rate at grades 1 through 15, which shall--
``(A) replace the otherwise applicable General Schedule
base rate for the wildland firefighter;
``(B) be basic pay for all purposes, including the purpose
of computing a locality-based comparability payment under
section 5304 or 5304a; and
``(C) be computed as described in paragraph (2) and
adjusted at the time of adjustments in the General Schedule.
``(2) Computation.--
``(A) In general.--The special base rate for a wildland
firefighter shall be derived by increasing the otherwise
applicable General Schedule base rate for the wildland
firefighter by the following applicable percentage for the
grade of the wildland firefighter and rounding the result to
the nearest whole dollar:
``(i) For GS-1, 42 percent.
``(ii) For GS-2, 39 percent.
``(iii) For GS-3, 36 percent.
``(iv) For GS-4, 33 percent.
``(v) For GS-5, 30 percent.
``(vi) For GS-6, 27 percent.
``(vii) For GS-7, 24 percent.
``(viii) For GS-8, 21 percent.
``(ix) For GS-9, 18 percent.
``(x) For GS-10, 15 percent.
``(xi) For GS-11, 12 percent.
``(xii) For GS-12, 9 percent.
``(xiii) For GS-13, 6 percent.
``(xiv) For GS-14, 3 percent.
``(xv) For GS-15, 1.5 percent.
``(B) Hourly, daily, weekly, or biweekly rates.--When the
special base rate with respect to a wildland firefighter is
expressed as an hourly, daily, weekly, or biweekly rate, the
special base rate shall be computed from the appropriate
annual rate of basic pay derived under subparagraph (A) in
accordance with the rules under section 5504(b).''.
(b) The table of sections for subchapter III of chapter 53
of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after
the item relating to section 5332 the following:

``5332a. Special base rates of pay for wildland firefighters.''.
(c) Section 5343 of title 5, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end the following:
``(g)(1) For a prevailing rate employee described in
section 5342(a)(2)(A) who is a wildland firefighter, as
defined in section 5332a(a), the Secretary of Agriculture or
the Secretary of the Interior (as applicable) shall increase
the wage rates of that employee by an amount (determined at
the sole and exclusive discretion of the applicable Secretary
after consultation with the other Secretary) that is
generally consistent with the percentage increases given to
wildland firefighters in the General Schedule under section
5332a.
``(2) An increased wage rate under paragraph (1) shall be
basic pay for the same purposes as the wage rate otherwise
established under this section.
``(3) An increase under this subsection may not cause the
wage rate of an employee to increase to a rate that would
produce an annualized rate in excess of the annual rate for
level IV of the Executive Schedule.''.
(d) The amendments made by this section shall take effect
on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning
on or after either

[[Page H4824]]

October 1, 2024 or the date of enactment of this Act,
whichever is later.
(e) Notwithstanding section 40803(d)(4)(B) of the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C.
6592(d)(4)(B)) and authority provided under the headings
``wildland fire management - forest service'' and ``wildland
fire management - department of the interior'' in fiscal
years 2024 and 2025, the salary increase in such section and
under such headings shall not apply to the positions
described in such section 40803(d)(4)(B) for service
performed on or after the effective date described in
subsection (d) of this section.

wildland fire incident response premium pay

Sec. 457. (a) Subchapter V of chapter 55 of title 5,
United Sates Code, is amended by inserting after section
5545b the following:

``Sec. 5545c. Incident response premium pay for employees
engaged in wildland firefighting

``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `appropriate committees of Congress' means--
``(A) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives;
``(B) the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the
House of Representatives;
``(C) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives;
``(D) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives;
``(E) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
``(F) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate;
``(G) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate; and
``(H) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
of the Senate;
``(2) the term `covered employee' means an employee of the
Forest Service or the Department of the Interior who is--
``(A) a wildland firefighter, as defined in section
5332a(a); or
``(B) certified by the applicable agency to perform
wildland fire incident-related duties during the period that
employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident;
``(3) the term `incident response premium pay' means pay to
which a covered employee is entitled under subsection (c);
``(4) the term `prescribed fire incident' means a wildland
fire originating from a planned ignition in accordance with
applicable laws, policies, and regulations to meet specific
objectives;
``(5) the term `qualifying incident'--
``(A) means--
``(i) a wildfire incident, a prescribed fire incident, or a
severity incident; or
``(ii) an incident that the Secretary of Agriculture or the
Secretary of the Interior determines is similar in nature to
an incident described in clause (i); and
``(B) does not include an initial response incident that is
contained within 36 hours; and
``(6) the term `severity incident' means an incident in
which a covered employee is pre-positioned in an area in
which conditions indicate there is a high risk of wildfires.
``(b) Eligibility.--A covered employee is eligible for
incident response premium pay under this section if--
``(1) the covered employee is deployed to respond to a
qualifying incident; and
``(2) the deployment described in paragraph (1) is--
``(A) outside of the official duty station of the covered
employee; or
``(B) within the official duty station of the covered
employee and the covered employee is assigned to an incident-
adjacent fire camp or other designated field location.
``(c) Entitlement to Incident Response Premium Pay.--
``(1) In general.--A covered employee who satisfies the
conditions under subsection (b) is entitled to premium pay
for the period in which the covered employee is deployed to
respond to the applicable qualifying incident.
``(2) Computation.--
``(A) Formula.--Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C),
premium pay under paragraph (1) shall be paid to a covered
employee at a daily rate of 450 percent of the hourly rate of
basic pay of the covered employee for each day that the
covered employee satisfies the requirements under subsection
(b), rounded to the nearest whole cent.
``(B) Limitation.--Premium pay under this subsection may
not be paid--
``(i) with respect to a covered employee for whom the
annual rate of basic pay is greater than that for step 10 of
GS-10, at a daily rate that exceeds the daily rate
established under subparagraph (A) for step 10 of GS-10; or
``(ii) to a covered employee in a total amount that exceeds
$9,000 in any calendar year.
``(C) Adjustments.--
``(i) Assessment.--The Secretary of Agriculture and the
Secretary of the Interior shall assess the difference between
the average total amount of compensation that was paid to
covered employees, by grade, in fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
``(ii) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date that
is 1 year after the effective date of this section, the
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior
shall jointly publish a report on the results of the
assessment conducted under clause (i).
``(iii) Administrative actions.--After publishing the
report required under clause (ii), the Secretary of
Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, in
consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel
Management, may, in the sole and exclusive discretion of the
Secretaries acting jointly, administratively adjust the
amount of premium pay paid under this subsection (or take
other administrative action) to ensure that the average
annual amount of total compensation paid to covered
employees, by grade, is more consistent with such amount that
was paid to those employees in fiscal year 2023.
``(iv) Congressional notification.--Not later than 3 days
after an adjustment made, or other administrative action
taken, under clause (iii) becomes final, the Secretary of
Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall jointly
submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a
notification regarding that adjustment or other
administrative action, as applicable.
``(d) Treatment of Incident Response Premium Pay.--Incident
response premium pay under this section--
``(1) is not considered part of the basic pay of a covered
employee for any purpose;
``(2) may not be considered in determining a covered
employee's lump-sum payment for accumulated and accrued
annual leave under section 5551 or section 5552;
``(3) may not be used in determining pay under section 8114
(relating to compensation for work injuries);
``(4) may not be considered in determining pay for hours of
paid leave or other paid time off during which the premium
pay is not payable; and
``(5) shall be disregarded in determining the minimum wage
and overtime pay to which a covered employee is entitled
under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et
seq.).''.
(b) Subchapter V of chapter 55 of title 5, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) in section 5544--
(A) by amending the section heading to read as follows:
``Wage-board overtime, Sunday rates, and other premium pay'';
and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) A prevailing rate employee described in section
5342(a)(2)(A) shall receive incident response premium pay
under the same terms and conditions that apply to a covered
employee under section 5545c if that employee--
``(1) is employed by the Forest Service or the Department
of the Interior; and
``(2)(A) is a wildland firefighter, as defined in section
5332a(a); or
``(B) is certified by the applicable agency to perform
wildland fire incident-related duties during the period the
employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident (as
defined in section 5545c(a)).''; and
(2) in section 5547(a), in the matter preceding paragraph
(1), by inserting ``5545c,'' after ``5545a,''.
(c) The table of sections for subchapter V of chapter 55 of
title 5, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by amending the item relating to section 5544 to read
as follows:

``5544. Wage-board overtime, Sunday rates, and other premium pay.'';
and
(2) by inserting after the item relating to section 5545b
the following:

``5545c. Incident response premium pay for employees engaged in
wildland firefighting.''.
(d) The amendments made by this section shall take effect
on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning
on or after either October 1, 2024 or the date of enactment
of this Act, whichever is later.

water rights

Sec. 458. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be obligated to require or request, as a
condition of the issuance, renewal, or extension of any
Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management permit, lease,
allotment, easement, or other land use and occupancy,
arrangement, the transfer, or relinquishment of any water
right, in whole, or in part, granted under State law.

cactus channel

Sec. 459. Subject to the terms provided herein, if the
Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation
District submits to the Secretary of Agriculture, not later
than 365 days after the date of enactment of this Act, a
written request for the conveyance of certain National Forest
System land located in the County of Riverside, California,
as generally depicted on the map titled ``Sunnymead Cactus
Avenue Channel Proposed Land Conveyance'' and dated ``May 13,
2024'' the Secretary shall convey to that District all right,
title, and interest of the United States in and to those
lands: Provided, That the exact acreage and legal
description of the National Forest System land herein
identified shall be determined by a survey satisfactory to
the Secretary: Provided further, That then conveyance shall
be made by quitclaim deed and subject to existing rights and
any other terms and conditions the Secretary considers
appropriate to protect the interests of the United States:
Provided further, That the District shall pay to the United
States fair market value for the conveyed National Forest
System land herein identified: Provided further, That the
Secretary shall deposit any funds received by the United
States from such conveyance in the fund established under
Public Law 90-171 (16 U.S.C. 484a) (commonly known as the
``Sisk Act'') and such deposits shall be made available
without future appropriations: Provided further, That as a
condition of the conveyance, the District shall pay all costs
associated with the conveyance, including the survey herein
required and any environmental analysis and resource surveys
required by Federal law: Provided further, That
notwithstanding the requirements of Section 120(h) of the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C, 9620(h)), with respect to
the National Forest System land herein identified, the
Secretary shall only be required to meet disclosure
requirements for hazardous substances, pollutants, or
contaminants under Section 120(h) and shall not otherwise be
required to remediate or abate any hazardous substances,
pollutants, or contaminants: Provided further, That if the
National Forest System land herein identified is conveyed to
the

[[Page H4825]]

District, the Secretary shall not be required to contribute
to the cost of any infrastructure, facilities, or
improvements developed on that land after the conveyance.

limitation

Sec. 460. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used for the Climate Justice Alliance.

limitation

Sec. 461. None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise
made available to the Smithsonian Institution by this Act may
be made available for partnerships or activities associated
with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices.

land withdrawals

Sec. 462. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to withdraw any Federal land from any form of entry,
appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws,
location, entry, or patent under the general mining laws, or
disposition under the mineral leasing, mineral materials, or
geothermal leasing laws unless such withdrawal is authorized
by an Act of Congress.

fast-41

Sec. 463. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
proposed rule titled ``Revising Scope of the Mining Sector of
Projects That Are Eligible for Coverage Under Title 41 of the
Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act'' (88 Fed. Reg.
65350; September 22, 2023).

privately owned mineral estates

Sec. 464. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to issue or revise any regulation pursuant to Section
17(o) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(o)) relating
to oil and gas development of outstanding and reserved
mineral rights within the Allegheny National Forest.

appraisals

Sec. 465. Section 5 of the Act of June 22, 1948 (62 Stat.
568, chapter 593; 16 U.S.C. 577g), is amended by striking
``of the fair appraised value of such'' and inserting ``of
the highest fair appraised value, including the historical
fair appraised value, as determined by the Secretary of
Agriculture in accordance with this section, of such''.

waters of the united states

Sec. 466. Not later than 15 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Civil Works shall provide to the appropriate congressional
committees any guidance documents relating to the
implementation of the rule entitled ``Revised Definition of
`Waters of the United States'; Conforming'' published by the
Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection
Agency in the Federal Register on September 8, 2023 (88 Fed.
Reg. 61964).

pesticides

Sec. 467. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to issue or adopt any guidance or any
policy, take any regulatory action, or approve any labeling
or change to such labeling that is inconsistent with or in
any respect different from the conclusion of--
(a) a human health assessment performed pursuant to the
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C.
136 et seq.); or
(b) a carcinogenicity classification for a pesticide.

steam rule

Sec. 468. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the final rule titled ``Supplemental Effluent Limitations
Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power
Generating Point Source Category'' published by the
Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register on
May 9, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 40198).

small off-road engine waiver

Sec. 469. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to approve a waiver submitted to the
Environmental Protection Agency by the State of California,
pursuant to section 209(e) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C.
7543(e)), for the State of California's amendments to its
rule titled ``Small Off-Road Engine Regulations: Transition
to Zero Emissions''.

ozone good neighbor

Sec. 470. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the final rule titled ``Federal `Good Neighbor Plan' for the
2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards'' published
by the Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal
Register on June 5, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 36654).

epa office of inspector general

Sec. 471. Beginning on October 1, 2024, of the amounts
made available to the Environmental Protection Agency under
each of sections 60101, 60102, 60104, 60105, 60106, 60107,
60108, 60109, 60110, 60111, 60112, 60113, 60115, 60116, and
60201 of Public Law 117-169, two-tenths of one percent of
such amounts shall be transferred to the Office of the
Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency for
oversight of funding provided to the Environmental Protection
Agency by such Public Law: Provided, That amounts so
transferred shall be derived from the unobligated balances of
amounts under each such section.

clean power plan

Sec. 472. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the final rule titled ``New Source Performance Standards for
Greenhouse Gas Emissions From New, Modified, and
Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units;
Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From
Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units; and
Repeal of the Affordable Clean Energy Rule'' published by the
Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register on
May 9, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 39798).

ethylene oxide

Sec. 473. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
proposed interim registration review decision and draft risk
assessment addendum for ethylene oxide described in the
notice titled ``Pesticide Registration Review; Proposed
Interim Decision and Draft Risk Assessment Addendum for
Ethylene Oxide; Notice of Availability'' published by the
Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register on
April 13, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 22447) unless the Commissioner
of Food and Drugs certifies that, as relevant, finalization,
implementation, administration, or enforcement of such rule,
decision, or addendum for ethylene oxide will not adversely
impact the availability of ethylene oxide to sterilize
medical products in the United States or result in the
movement of any sterilization capacity of such products
outside of the United States.

light- and medium-duty vehicles

Sec. 474. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the final rule titled ``Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards
for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty
Vehicles'' published by the Environmental Protection Agency
in the Federal Register on April 18, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg.
27842), or any substantially similar rule.

heavy-duty vehicles

Sec. 475. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the final rule titled ``Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards
for Heavy-Duty Vehicles-Phase 3'' and published by the
Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register on
April 22, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 29440), or any substantially
similar rule.

clean water act section 401

Sec. 476. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce the final rule
of the Environmental Protection Agency, titled ``Clean Water
Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification Improvement
Rule'', and published on September 27, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg.
66558).

interagency working group on social cost of greenhouse gases

Sec. 477. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost
of Greenhouse Gases.

nepa greenhouse gas guidance

Sec. 478. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
notice of interim guidance titled ``National Environmental
Policy Act Guidance on Consideration of Greenhouse Gas
Emissions and Climate Change'' published by the Council on
Environmental Quality in the Federal Register on January 9,
2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 1196).

nepa phase 1

Sec. 479. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used implement, administer, or enforce the final rule
titled ``National Environmental Policy Act Implementing
Regulations Revisions'' published by the Council on
Environmental Quality in the Federal Register on April 20,
2022 (87 Fed. Reg. 23453).

nepa phase 2

Sec. 480. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
final rule titled ``National Environmental Policy Act
Implementing Regulations Revisions Phase 2'' published by the
Council on Environmental Quality in the Federal Register on
May 1, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 35442).

oil and natural gas

Sec. 481. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce the final rule
titled ``Standards of Performance for New, Reconstructed, and
Modified Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing
Sources: Oil and Natural Gas Sector Climate Review''
published by the Environmental Protection Agency in the
Federal Register on March 8, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 16820).

risk management programs

Sec. 482. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce the final rule
titled ``Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk
Management Programs Under the Clean Air Act; Safer
Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention'' published by
the Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register
on March 11, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 17622).

ghg reporting

Sec. 483. None of the funds made available by this or any
other Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
the final rule titled ``Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule:
Revisions and Confidentiality Determinations for Petroleum
and Natural Gas Systems'' published by the Environmental
Protection Agency in the Federal Register on May 14, 2024 (89
Fed. Reg. 42062).

meat and poultry products

Sec. 484. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
proposed rule titled ``Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations
Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products
Point Source Category'' published by the Environmental
Protection Agency in the Federal Register on January 23, 2024
(89 Fed. Reg. 4474).

disposal of coal combustion residuals

Sec. 485. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer,

[[Page H4826]]

or enforce the final rule titled ``Hazardous and Solid Waste
Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From
Electric Utilities; Legacy CCR Surface Impoundments''
published by the Environmental Protection Agency in the
Federal Register on May 8, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 38950).

aerially applied fire retardant

Sec. 486. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to ban the use of aerially applied fire retardant.

california rcra action

Sec. 487. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement a regulation issued by the State of
California, pursuant to the authority provided under the 2009
Memorandum of Agreement between the California Department of
Toxic Substances Control and Region IX of the Environmental
Protection Agency (or any successor agreement), that
classifies metal shredding facilities as hazardous waste
treatment facilities.

report on cellulosic biofuels

Sec. 488. (a) Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency shall submit to the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report outlining
a plan to qualify any fuel derived from waste plastic or
waste tires as cellulosic biofuel under section 211(o) of the
Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)).
(b) In preparing the report described in subsection (a),
the Administrator shall consult with relevant stakeholders
and incorporate into such report any input from such
stakeholders that the Administrator determines appropriate.

good neighbor authority

Sec. 489. (a) Section 8206(b)(2)(C)(ii) of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a) is amended by striking ``2024''
and inserting ``2025''.
(b) Notwithstanding the amendment made by subsection (a),
the authorities provided by title III of the America's
Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act (as enacted by section 455
of this Act), and the terms and conditions of such Act, shall
apply to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

methane fee

Sec. 490. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used--
(1) to develop, propose, finalize, implement, or enforce
regulations implementing subsection (c) of section 136 of the
Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7436); or
(2) otherwise impose, collect, or enforce a charge on
methane emissions under such section 136.

limitation

Sec. 491. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce the final rule
titled ``National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air
Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam
Generating Units Review of the Residual Risk and Technology
Review'' published by the Environmental Protection Agency in
the Federal Register on May 7, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 38508).

state permit program

Sec. 492. The notice of the Environmental Protection
Agency approving the State of Florida's request to carry out
a permit program for the discharge of dredged or fill
material pursuant to section 404 of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1344), published on December
22, 2020, and titled ``EPA's Approval of Florida's Clean
Water Act Section 404 Assumption Request'' (85 Fed. Reg.
83553) shall have the force and effect of law.

iris

Sec. 493. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to develop, finalize, issue, or use assessments under
the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS).

upper columbia river

Sec. 494. None of the funds made available by this Act or
any other Act may be used to finalize, implement, or
administer the addition of the Upper Columbia River,
Washington site under the General Superfund Section of the
proposed rule entitled ``National Priorities List'' and
published by the Environmental Protection Agency on March 7,
2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 16502).

old-growth

Sec. 495. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to--
(1) finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
environmental impact statement entitled ``EIS No. 20240110,
Draft, USFS, NAT, Land Management Plan Direction for Old-
Growth Forest Conditions Across the National Forest System''
published by the Environmental Protection Agency in the
Federal Register on June 21, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 52039) or any
substantially similar environmental impact statement; or
(2) carry out any proposed action included in such
environmental impact statement (or notice relating to such
environmental impact statement) or any substantially similar
action.

naaqs rule

Sec. 496. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce the final rule
entitled ``Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air
Quality Standards for Particulate Matter'' and published by
the Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register
on March 6, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 16202).

spending reduction account

Sec. 497. $0
This division may be cited as the ``Department of the
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 2025''.

The CHAIR. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as
amended, are waived.
No further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in order
except those printed in part B of House Report 118-602, amendments en
bloc described in section 8 of House Resolution 1370, and pro forma
amendments described in section 9 of that resolution.
Each further amendment printed in part B of the report shall be
considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only
by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read,
shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided
and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject
to amendment except as provided by section 9 of House Resolution 1370,
and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.
It shall be in order at any time for the chair of the Committee on
Appropriations or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting
of further amendments printed in part B of House Report 118-602 not
earlier disposed of. Amendments en bloc offered pursuant to section 8
of House Resolution 1370 shall be considered as read, shall be
debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their
respective designees, shall not be subject to amendment except as
described in section 9 of House Resolution 1370, and shall not be
subject to a demand for division of the question.
During consideration of the bill for amendment, the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective
designees may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at any point for
the purpose of debate.

Amendments En Bloc Offered by Mr. Simpson of Idaho

Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 1370, I offer
amendments en bloc.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
Amendments en bloc consisting of amendment Nos. 1, 5, 12, 26, 27, 28,
29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 58,
59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 74, 86, 87, 94, 95,
96, and 97 printed in part B of House Report 118-602, offered by Mr.
Simpson of Idaho:

Amendment No. 1 Offered by Ms. Adams of North Carolina

Page 12, line 23, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $3,000,000) (increased by $3,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Beyer of Virginia

Page 18, line 22, after the dollar amount insert ``(reduced
by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 12 Offered by Mrs. Boebert of Colorado

Page 115, line 11, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $3,000,000)''.
Page 156, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 26 Offered by Mr. Buchanan of Florida

Page 7, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000)''.
Page 40, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 27 Offered by Mr. Buchanan of Florida

Page 40, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000)''.
Page 88, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 28 Offered by Mr. Buchanan of Florida

Page 18, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
Page 40, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $2,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 29 Offered by Ms. Budzinski of Illinois

Page 24, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 31 Offered by Mr. DeSaulnier of California

Page 40, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000)''.
Page 146, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 32 Offered by Mrs. Dingell of Michigan

Page 109, line 23, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $82,000,000) (reduced by $82,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 33 Offered by Mrs. Dingell of Michigan

Page 101, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $9,708,000) (reduced by $9,708,000)''.

Amendment No. 34 Offered by Mr. Duarte of California

Page 89, line 6, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $500,000) (reduced by $500,000)''.

[[Page H4827]]

Amendment No. 35 Offered by Mr. Feenstra of Iowa

Page 89, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 36 Offered by Mr. Garbarino of New York

Page 14, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $15,000,000) (increased by $15,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 37 Offered by Ms. Perez of Washington

Page 106, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 38 Offered by Mr. Gottheimer of New Jersey

Page 40, line 19, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(decreased by $5,000,000)''.
Page 156, line 24, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 39 Offered by Mr. Gottheimer of New Jersey

Page 12, line 23, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $500,000) (increased by $500,000)''.

Amendment No. 49 Offered by Ms. Kamlager-Dove of California

Page 40, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $3,000,000) (increased by $3,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 50 Offered by Mr. Kennedy of New York

Page 93, line 7, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $748,735,000) (reduced by $748,735,000)''.

Amendment No. 51 Offered by Mr. Kennedy of New York

Page 18, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $81,049,000) (reduced by $81,049,000)''.

Amendment No. 52 Offered by Mr. Lawler of New York

Page 91, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $5,000,000) (increased by $5,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 53 Offered by Mr. Lawler of New York

Page 12, line 23, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000)''.
Page 40, line 19, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $5,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 54 Offered by Mr. Lawler of New York

Page 9, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000)''.
Page 40, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $5,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 55 Offered by Mr. Lawler of New York

Page 14, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $5,000,000) (increased by $5,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 58 Offered by Mr. Molinaro of New York

Page 7, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
Page 40, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $2,000,000)''.

amendment no. 59 offered by mr. molinaro of new york

Page 40, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $4,000,000)''.
Page 89, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $4,000,000)''.
Page 89, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $4,000,000)''.

amendment no. 60 offered by mr. molinaro of new york

Page 14, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
Page 40, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $2,000,000)''.

amendment no. 61 offered by mr. molinaro of new york

Page 93, line 7, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $4,000,000) (increased by $4,000,000)''.

amendment no. 62 offered by mr. molinaro of new york

Page 88, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $13,000,000)''.
Page 91, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $13,000,000)''.
Page 91, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $13,000,000)''.

amendment no. 63 offered by mr. moylan of guam

Page 12, line 23, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $5,000,000) (increased by $5,000,000)''.

amendment no. 64 offered by moylan of guam

Page 7, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

amendment no. 65 offered by mr. moylan of guam

Page 9, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $2,000,000) (increased by $2,000,000)''.

amendment no. 66 offered by mr. moylan of guam

Page 156, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $600,000) (increased by $600,000)''.

amendment no. 67 offered by mr. moylan of guam

Page 8, line 8, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

amendment no. 68 offered by mr. moylan of guam

Page 148, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

amendment no. 69 offered by mr. moylan of guam

Page 148, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $27,000,000) increased by $27,000,000)''.

amendment no. 70 offered by mr. moylan of guam

Page 89, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $12,000,000) (increased by $12,000,000)''.

amendment no. 71 Offered by Mr. Neguse of Colorado

Page 93, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $35,987,000) (reduced by $35,987,000)''.
Page 93, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $242,485,000) (reduced by $242,485,000)''.

amendment no. 74 Offered by Ms. Norton of District of Columbia

Page 12, line 23, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by $1,000,000)''.

amendment no. 86 Offered by Mr. Schweikert of Arizona

Page 40, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $7,000,000)''.
Page 133, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $7,000,000)''.

amendment no. 87 Offered by Mr. Stanton of Arizona

Page 89, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $20,000)''.
Page 133, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $20,000)''.

amendment no. 94 Offered by Ms. Titus of Nevada

Page 2, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $11,000,000) (increased by $11,000,000)''.

amendment no. 95 Offered by Ms. Tlaib of Michigan

Page 93, line 7, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,500,000,000) (reduced by
$1,500,000,000)''.

amendment no. 96 Offered by Mr. Vasquez of New Mexico

Page 32, line 12 after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $2,000,000) (increased by $2,000,000)''.

amendment no. 97 Offered by Mr. Wittman of Virginia

Page 27, line 21, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $500,000) (increased by $500,000)''.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman from
Idaho (Mr. Simpson) and the gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree) each
will control 10 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Idaho.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, this bipartisan en bloc was developed in
coordination with our colleagues across the aisle. It contains
noncontroversial amendments addressing important issues in this bill
that have been agreed to by both sides.
For example, the amendments en bloc highlight the importance of the
Rural Water Technical Assistance grants as well as the Clean Water and
Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.

{time} 1830

It emphasizes the support for Indian Health Services and national
heritage areas and support for research to harmful algal blooms and
provides assistance to the Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Madam Chair, I support its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I support the en bloc amendment, I urge its
adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, I have no more speakers on this, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Nevada (Ms. Titus).
Ms. TITUS. Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this
time.
Madam Chair, I rise today in support of amendment No. 94 which would
direct BLM to use additional resources on reversible fertility control
methods during its wild horse and burro management program.
There are as many as 73,000 wild horses and burros roaming across the
West, many of which are put in unnecessary danger due to BLM's use of
helicopters to control horse populations. In fiscal year 2024 alone,
BLM has planned to round up a staggering 21,000 wild horses. This is a
costly and unsustainable plan. Just in the last 3 weeks, 47 horses have
been killed during BLM helicopter roundups in Nevada and Wyoming.

[[Page H4828]]

There are, however, more humane ways to achieve BLM's goal of
managing these herds. The use of reversible fertility control is a safe
and inexpensive way to manage wild horse and burro populations.
Although it is scientifically proven to decrease the number of animals
living on the range, BLM spends less than 1 percent of its management
budget on such methods.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to
implore BLM to increase their spending on fertility control methods and
save these icons of the American West.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, I don't have any further speakers if the
gentlewoman is ready to yield back.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Kennedy).
Mr. KENNEDY. Madam Chair, clean water is a human right. For decades
in this country, we have allowed our water infrastructure to fall into
disrepair, putting public health and the health of our environments
into jeopardy.
Fortunately, the State and Tribal Assistance Grant, or STAG, program
is empowering communities to tackle their toughest challenges and make
game-changing drinking and clean water investments.
These include projects that protect beaches, including coastlines
along the Great Lakes in my district, to make it safe to swim and
recreate; projects to prevent runoff that pollutes our waters and can
cause harmful algal blooms that damage public health and marine life;
and projects to remove lead pipes, improving health outcomes,
especially in children.
The STAG program also works to address past inequities by providing
Indian and Tribal communities with the support they need to address
drinking water and wastewater issues that disproportionately impact
reservations.
The STAG program is a step in the right direction.
It helps State and Tribal Governments across the country upgrade
aging infrastructure, build resiliency in the face of climate change,
and meet the needs of historically underserved communities.
For these reasons, it is critical to ensure this program is
adequately funded. My amendment would increase funding for the STAG
program by $745 million.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the amendment to
protect our nature's most precious natural resource and ensure
communities access to clean water across our great country.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KENNEDY. Madam Chair, the health and economic prosperity of my
district, which has coastlines along Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the
Niagara River, is deeply intertwined with the health of the Great
Lakes.
The lakes serve residents in Buffalo and Niagara Falls in myriad
ways, from supplying fresh water to being a source of leisure.
In 2021, the Great Lakes region generated $3.1 trillion in economic
activity and employed nearly 26 million people, representing $1.3
trillion in wages.
But our local and regional economy is threatened by a microscopic
enemy harmful algal blooms, or HABs.
HABs can quickly grow out of control, producing toxic chemicals that
cause illness or death in humans and pets who come in contact.
These large, blue-green algae blooms wash onto our beaches, and can
form huge, putrid piles of muck--driving away beach goers, disrupting
recreational activities, and detering investment in our coastlines.
To ensure public health, protect marine life, and ensure the vibrancy
of local economies and water-related industries, more needs to be done
to study and understand harmful algal blooms.
My amendment would provide an additional $5 million to the U.S.
Geological Survey to research and monitor HABs in freshwater bodies.
Continued federal investment in researching HABs must be a top
priority, especially as we get closer to understanding how they form
and how we can reduce their harmful ecological and economic impacts.
I urge my colleagues to pass my amendment to protect tourism
economies, animals, and public health.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendments en bloc offered by the
gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson).
The en bloc amendments were agreed to.

Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Arrington

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 2 printed in
part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. ARRINGTON. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:

guadalupe fatmucket, texas fatmucket, guadalupe orb, texas pimpleback,
balcones spike, false spike, and texas fawnsfoot

Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce the final rule
titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;
Endangered Species Status With Critical Habitat for Guadalupe
Fatmucket, Texas Fatmucket, Guadalupe Orb, Texas Pimpleback,
Balcones Spike, and False Spike, and Threatened Species
Status With Section 4(d) Rule and Critical Habitat for Texas
Fawnsfoot'' (89 Fed. Reg. 48034; published June 4, 2024).
The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Arrington) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. ARRINGTON. Madam Chair, let me start by saying the critical
habitat that I am concerned most about is rural America, the backbone
of this country, the breadbasket, and the energy basin that is feeding,
clothing, and fueling America.
What I am concerned about with respect to endangered species after
almost 4 years of this administration are farmers and oil and gas
producers who turn the cranks on the greatest economy in the world, who
keep the consumers' cost of energy down, and who basically produce
through hydrocarbons 90 percent of everything we use.
However, they are being attacked with a whole-of-government assault,
and this, I think, is just one more example.
I rise to offer an amendment to prohibit the funding of the Biden-
Harris administration's attempt to regulate these cowboys, plowboys,
and roughnecks in rural America who truly make America great.
This administration has decided to list in this case six freshwater
mussel species that in their own report and own words are moderately
healthy. In doing so they jeopardize the livelihoods, the way of life,
and the tremendous contributions of our agriculture and energy
producers locking up 1,500 miles of rivers causing our farmers and
ranchers to be in jeopardy of criminalization, essentially, for the
things they do to make an efficient agriculture production for an
affordable and abundant supply of food for every American.
Madam Chair, I offer this amendment. I urge my colleagues to vote
``yes'' to defund what I believe is blatant overreach. Stand up for the
God-fearing, hardworking, freedom-loving farmers, ranchers, and energy
producers in the heartland. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this
amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in
human history, and more than 1 million species are currently threatened
with extinction, many within decades.
This amendment seeks to legislate species status rather than
providing species with the protections they are afforded under the
Endangered Species Act, our principal conservation law, and it would
potentially increase litigation regarding the government's
responsibility to implement the statutory requirements of the
Endangered Species Act.
Once again, my Republican colleagues are disregarding the law. The
best available scientific and commercial information, not politics,
should determine whether a species is listed as threatened or
endangered.
This amendment circumvents the rigorous process that is in place to
make these determinations as well as the role of public input. Human
activities that are threatening and diminishing animal habitats,
polluting nature, and accelerating global warming are driving species
to extinction.

[[Page H4829]]

When we lose a species, impacts reverberate throughout ecosystems,
and we all suffer because our economy, health, livelihoods, food
security, and quality of life all depend on healthy ecosystems.
Defunding the service's ability to list species would work against
the clear intent of the Endangered Species Act and would further
litigation by outside groups on both sides. It would undercut the
service's ability to work collaboratively with Tribes, other Federal
agencies, States, local communities, and landowners to conserve the
species.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment and
protect vulnerable species so that future generations benefit from a
world with healthy ecosystems and robust biodiversity.
Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ARRINGTON. Madam Chair, may I ask how much time do I have
remaining.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas has 2\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. ARRINGTON. If the Endangered Species Act were so important to my
colleagues, then we wouldn't go 30 years without reauthorizing it. If
it is a national priority, then we ought to look at it, do our
congressional oversight jobs that we were sent here to do, and
determine if it is working or not.
I can't imagine, to my colleague from Maine, that her fishermen would
appreciate being locked out of their livelihoods and what they
contribute to the Maine economy any more than my producers of
agriculture who put food on the table for folks in Maine and all over
the country.
I really believe we have gotten this thing so out of whack when we
talk about critical habitat for these freshwater mussels that are
healthy. There is nothing healthy about the ag economy. There is an
ecosystem that we ought to all be concerned about because if we can't
feed ourselves and if we don't have food security in this country, then
we don't have a strong nation.
We are blessed with tremendous resources. The greatest of those
resources are hardworking farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and others who
help feed Americans and take tremendous risks, weather risks and market
risks. These guys live with tremendous debt. They borrow and they pray
to the good Lord that the weather will work out, and they have been
experiencing record drought in my home State of Texas.
Now they have to contend with healthy, freshwater mussels in 1,500
miles of river. It seems to me we have this thing upside down. Yes, we
want to steward our environment. Yes, we care about wildlife and
habitat of all kinds, but we seem to have moved a human flourishing
objective somewhere down below where it ought to be, which is at the
top along with these farmers, ranchers, and energy producers.
God bless them. They have so much to contend with with all the
overreach coming out of EPA's Waters of the U.S. I could go through a
litany of things that they are suffering one blow after another, one
regulation, one overreach after another, and now these freshwater
mussels that are apparently, according to their own reports, healthy.
We ought to care more about the critical habitat of farming and
farmers than we do freshwater mussels that are healthy.
Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Arrington).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Arrington

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 3 printed in
part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. ARRINGTON. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:

muleshoe national wildlife refuge land protection plan

Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
Land Protection Plan described in the document published by
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service titled ``Final
Land Protection Plan & Environmental Assessment Muleshoe
National Wildlife Refuge'' (February 2023).

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Arrington) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. ARRINGTON. Madam Chair, I rise to offer an amendment to defund
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services plan to expand the Muleshoe
National Wildlife Refuge by an unprecedented 1,000 percent.
Madam Chair, think about that. We are out in the breadbasket of
America, in the panhandle of Texas, Muleshoe America, and they take a
6,400-acre refuge and they want to expand it to 700,000 acres.
My chairman over here from Idaho is the only one who recognizes that
we have the highest level of indebtedness in the history of our Nation,
surpassing World War II. We are in relative peace and prosperity, and
it is only going to get worse. The wheels are coming off. We spend
almost $1 trillion to service the debt, just to pay interest, and that
is going to more than double over the next decade.

{time} 1845

We are in trouble. At $35 trillion, we are borrowing almost $8
billion a day to support this huge and ever-growing government. Like a
hole in our head, the last thing we need to do is spend money to buy up
more land to somehow either appease an environmental group or maybe
just achieve what seems to be an odd objective of having the Federal
Government own and operate a third of our land. They can't manage the
land they have.
I just got back from Glacier National Park. It is beautiful. I want
those parks to be managed well for wildfire management and recreational
use. They are beautiful, and we are blessed.
The gentleman who runs that facility on behalf of the American people
said he can't get to but 10 percent of the land, and we are trying to
go 1,000 percent expansion in Muleshoe. The sandhill crane and
pronghorns are not on the Endangered Species List. They are stable.
I don't understand why we are here. Let's think about the critical
habitat versus human flourishing, the human habitat, and the American
people habitat.
We have Social Security and Medicare, which will be insolvent in the
next 10 to 15 years. Their unfunded liability combined is about $135
trillion. We have a farm bill that needs to be resourced. We have
infrastructure that is crumbling.
We have a Defense Department, which is for the common defense, the
first and most important job of the Federal Government, but because our
debt and interest is squeezing our ability to fund our national
priorities, we are now below 3 percent of investment in military for
the defense of our country per GDP for the first time since prior to
World War II.
Is this what my Democratic colleagues think is a national priority?
I mean, that is the problem with this place, is we don't prioritize.
Our system of resourcing the people's government is completely
irrational. We don't have to pay for anything. We don't take it out of
their pockets, so they don't revolt. They would. If we took the $2
trillion that we borrow every year, they would revolt.
We ought to be able to find some waste and unnecessary spending.
Maybe we ought to prioritize like every other American that is
suffering with the worst tax of all, which is inflation. They have to
prioritize, or they don't eat and can't take care of their families.
This is a bad deal. It is overreach. It is crazy.
Madam Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas has 45 seconds remaining.
Mr. ARRINGTON. Madam Chair, I have to say this: People don't trust
the Federal Government anymore, and I don't like that because it is
going to make it very difficult for us to govern and keep the peace and
domestic tranquility and to have us love each other as fellow
Americans.
They trust the Federal Government even less over the last few years
because they have seen it be weaponized

[[Page H4830]]

against them in the name of clean air or clean water in terms of ponds,
puddles, and ditches on farmers' lands that have nothing to do with
navigable waters, and this administration knows it. By the way, so do
the courts because they threw it out, but it is just one after another.
Texas tried to do what the Federal Government advocated under this
current administration and under border czar Harris' leadership. They
tried to defend our sovereign border and protect our citizens. With the
stroke of a pen, this administration declared the Mexican mussel needed
critical habitat, and they obstructed our ability to defend ourselves.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Members are reminded to address their remarks to the Chair.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, the Interior appropriations bill we are
considering today includes 92 poison pill riders in the base bill, and
I object to the inclusion of any more.
We are here to protect the welfare of the American public, and we
cannot close our eyes to the impacts of climate change, such as the
drought, flooding, severe storm, and wildfire events we are
experiencing.
As of July 9, the United States has experienced 15 confirmed weather
and climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each. That
is 15 events over $1 billion this year alone by July. As we all know,
Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas on July 8, and we know more
storms will follow this year.
This amendment seeks to block the Fish and Wildlife Service from
working with willing sellers to expand conservation of the Muleshoe
National Wildlife Refuge through fee title and easement acquisitions.
Investment in and expansion of the National Wildlife Refuge System
follows on to the Service's work with partners to identify a
conservation strategy and limited acquisition boundary that will
support sandhill crane, pronghorn, and the lesser prairie-chicken, as
well as a full suite of other wildlife that relies on grassland and
wetland habitat types.
This plan is a critical step in protecting the future of the Southern
High Plains region in New Mexico and Texas for iconic species. This
area is also important to conserve for related benefits, like clean
water filtration and carbon sequestration, which are essential to
environmental and human well-being. Our economy, health, livelihoods,
food security, and quality of life all depend on healthy ecosystems.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment and focus
instead on addressing climate change and making our Nation stronger.
Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Arrington).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Bentz

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 4 printed in
part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. BENTZ. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the spending reduction
account), insert the following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for the establishment of a national monument in
Malheur County, Oregon, under chapter 3203 of title 54,
United States Code (commonly referred to as the ``Antiquities
Act of 1906'').

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. Bentz) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.
Mr. BENTZ. Madam Chair, this amendment would prohibit the Department
of the Interior from using appropriated funds for any purpose having to
do with establishing under the Antiquities Act a national monument in
Malheur County, Oregon.
Malheur County is part of my congressional district, and it is huge,
almost 10,000 square miles in size. As Members can see from the picture
to my right, this county is 145 times the size of Washington, D.C. It
is sparsely populated, but the people who live and work in Malheur
County understand the value and importance of protecting the land
because many are second, third, and fourth generations who spent their
lives earning a living in the most challenging of arid locations,
knowing from hard experience that the only way to survive is to live in
harmony with the land.
Back in 2015, a small group of mostly urban activists, funded by
recreational sportswear companies, tried to convince the Obama
administration that it should use the Antiquities Act to abruptly
impose a national monument designation on 2.5 million acres of the 6.3
million acres making up Malheur County. That is about 40 percent of the
county's entire area.
This picture beside me shows the typical type of land that makes up
much of these 2.5 million acres. The almost 200 miles of canyon seen
cutting through the sagebrush flats in this picture are already
protected with scenic river designations. We don't need a monument
stacked on top of those previous designations.
Much of the proposed monument area is covered by sagebrush and
extremely dry. The widely separated springs and ephemeral trickles of
water trying to pass as streams in this vast, environmentally fragile
area are generally the site of ranch headquarters operated for
generations by families of ranchers.
These ranchers, in addition to being an important part of the
economy, provide first-responder protection for recreationists, hikers,
and hunters. When wildfires break out, as they are right now, they do
their best to protect the land itself. Their presence also protects
against abuse of the land by those who have little regard for its
fragility.
Back in 2015, when those activists began to lobby the Obama
administration for a monument designation, local residents gathered
together in opposition. They formed a group of ranchers, hunters,
environmental NGOs, and others. For the past 7 years, this group has
been meeting, studying, arguing, discussing, and working with
landowners, State legislators, county commissioners, the local Paiute
Tribe of Indians, Congressmen, Senator Ron Wyden, and others to develop
a legislative initiative addressing many of the concerns of interested
parties.
Their work culminated in S. 1890, the Malheur Community Empowerment
for the Owyhee Act, passed by the Senate. Thus, there is no reason for
a national monument designation. The pending Senate bill, when
finalized, because it needs to be changed in significant part, plus the
Federal protections already in place, as shown in the chart beside me,
are all designed to protect this important area.
A top-down monument designation will not protect the land. In fact,
such a designation will attract tens of thousands of people to this
fragile area, resulting in the destruction of the very thing a monument
designation would purport to protect.
It is a sad commentary on those who preach cooperation and
nonpartisanship that one of the very environmental NGOs that was at the
negotiating table and participated in the structure found in S. 1890
has now begun to advertise, fundraise, and lobby, advocating that the
President use the Antiquities Act to designate much of that same 2.5
million acres as a national monument, ignoring the years of work and
time invested by those who actually live in and around this land to do
something more protective.
Madam Chair, my amendment is designed to stop the use of Federal
moneys for what would be a totally unnecessary monument designation,
thus allowing the locally driven public land protective process to
continue.
Madam Chair, I ask for support of this amendment, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, this amendment would prohibit funding for
the establishment of any national monument in Malheur County.
The Antiquities Act provides the President with the authority to
designate national monuments in order to protect objects of historic or
scientific

[[Page H4831]]

interest. Both Republican and Democratic Presidents have used this
authority to increase the protection of special Federal lands.
This amendment inappropriately restricts the President's ability to
declare a national monument in specific parts of the country. It goes
against 100 years of American tradition to protect the Nation's
cultural and natural resources.
The Antiquities Act represents an important achievement in the
progress of conservation and preservation efforts in the United States.
Congress should not stand in the way of these achievements.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BENTZ. Madam Chair, I point out that there is layer upon layer of
Federal protective designations already in place. More importantly, the
local community has worked together for almost 7 years to put together
a bill similar to the one that has been passed by the Senate.
Why in the world would we want to allow the designation of a monument
to usurp the local work done by people living in that area? This
amendment keeps that from happening, and we need this kind of
protection so that local people recognize they are not powerless and
that they can step up and protect their land.
Madam Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in defending
our communities' rights and upholding our constitutional rights. We
must not allow executive overreach but protect our rural communities
and promote balanced approaches to Federal land management.
Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Oregon (Mr. Bentz).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 6 Offered by Mrs. Bice

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 6 printed in
part B of House Report 118-602.
Mrs. BICE. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the Smithsonian Institution for any drag show
performance.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman from
Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oklahoma.

{time} 1900

Mrs. BICE. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of my amendment,
which would prohibit the use of any Federal funds or resources from
being used to host drag shows at the Smithsonian. I have had several
interactions with Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch on this very
issue.
In a House Administration Committee hearing in December of last year,
I questioned Secretary Bunch on whether or not taxpayer funds were used
for drag shows and if the Smithsonian had plans to continue to promote
drag shows for children.
During the hearing, Secretary Bunch said, ``I think it's not
appropriate to expose children to drag shows. I'm surprised and I will
look into that.''
I was pleased to hear this answer as I also believe it is
inappropriate to expose children to these types of events. Only a few
weeks later, I was shocked to see that Secretary Bunch had begun
pulling back on his answers to me. I believe this is in large part due
to the blowback from staff who worked at the Smithsonian.
A few months later, the Secretary followed up with answers to
additional questions I had. While a response from the Smithsonian
stated taxpayer funds were not used for drag shows directly, official
time and Smithsonian resources, such as websites and staff as well as
building space were being used. To me, this is completely unacceptable.
The Smithsonian then hosted an event titled: Neurodiverse Drag Story
Hour, utilizing a taxpayer-funded Smithsonian building, advertised on
taxpayer-funded websites, and using taxpayer-funded staff.
Madam Chair, the Smithsonian should focus on education and research,
not inappropriate entertainment. Instead of diffusing knowledge, which
is the mission statement of the Smithsonian, we are diffusing the
intent and the mission of the institution.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to the
amendment, and I am sorry to tell my good friend from Oklahoma that I
oppose her on this misguided amendment.
One of our greatest strengths as a Nation is our diversity. The
American experience is not a singular experience, and diversity
programs exist to recognize this. We should not defund or block the
Smithsonian from holding LGBTQIA+ events and restricting program and
content development when we know the Smithsonian is committed to
broadly sharing information so parents can make decisions about what is
appropriate content for their children.
Madam Chair, I oppose this amendment, I encourage my colleagues to do
the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. BICE. Madam Chair, I hear the words from my colleague from
Maine, but I will note a few instances of what we are seeing at the
Smithsonian because I believe that to be incorrect.
Drag events at Smithsonian Institution Museums include: June 22, the
Neurodiverse Drag Story Hour; June 23, 2023, Native Pride Extravaganza,
the American Indian Museum; June 3, 2023, Drag Story Hour; June 4,
2022, Pride Family Day with two lip-syncing drag shows; June 2021,
Virtual Drag Queen Art Bingo; June 2021, Virtual Drag Queen Story Time;
and June 2020, Drag Queen Story Time.
These are not appropriate things to be hosting in taxpayer-funded
buildings, using taxpayer resources targeted at children. These are
adult events, and they should be kept away from children. I strongly
support the amendment. Children should not be exposed to adult cabaret
performances.
In what world, Madam Chair, is that okay?
They receive Federal funding to ensure their buildings are maintained
and the staff are paid. I do not believe it is appropriate for staff to
be paid to expose children to inappropriate material. I do not believe
it is appropriate for Federal buildings to be used. I do not believe it
is appropriate for Federal agencies, such as the Smithsonian
Institution to promote drag shows on their official channels.
Government funding should not be used to expose children to
inappropriate material.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. BICE. Madam Chair, I encourage support of this amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I will remind the body, again, that I
strongly oppose this amendment. One of our greatest strengths as a
Nation is our diversity.
The events that my colleague on the other side of the aisle was
referring to were all held during Pride Month. It is an extremely
important activity during that month to talk about the importance of
our diversity and that America is not a singular experience. We
represent a whole variety of people.
I think that any kind of restriction on the content or programming of
the art that goes on in the Smithsonian is a terrible, slippery slope.
We have seen this happen at other times in our country. Some of us are
either old enough or have a memory of Edwin Meese when he was the
Attorney General and decided to drape the statues in the Capitol and
spent thousands of dollars because he was deciding what was culturally
appropriate or what should be going on.
The fact is these are all widely advertised programs that parents can
make decisions about. I don't think we should do anything to restrict
the content, the art, or the programming at the Smithsonian.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H4832]]

The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 7 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 7 printed in
part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. ___. The salary of Michael S. Regan, Administrator of
the Environmental Protection Agency, shall be reduced to $1.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman from
Colorado (Ms. Boebert) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Colorado.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I rise to offer my amendment that utilizes
the Holman rule to reduce the salary of EPA Administrator Michael Regan
to $1.
On his watch, Administrator Regan has used the EPA to impose Green
New Deal policies, such as electric appliance and EV mandates, power
plant closures, strict regulations on American energy production, and
environmental justice initiatives.
On Michael Regan's watch, the EPA has prioritized DEI over domestic
energy, climate change over consumers, and EVs over our great economy.
In a hearing with the Oversight and Accountability Committee, he was
unaware that the EPA has never formally been authorized by Congress,
something that someone who oversees an agency should know. If the body
of government who is directed to create such agencies has never
authorized them, well, then we have a problem. However, this hasn't
stopped him from jeopardizing American energy security, overloading
America's power grid, and raising costs for all American consumers and
businesses.
In fact, in March of last year, the EPA Twitter account posted, ``As
a bicultural, bilingual, and bisexual woman, Iris deeply empathizes
with communities at the intersection of overlapping crises of
injustice, #climatechange, and environmental racism.''
We cannot have the head of the Environmental Protection Agency
claiming that even the environment is racist.
This is another season of all the questions are made up and none of
the points matter. The American people want their government to work
for them, not against them. This administration's Green New Deal
regulations are increasing regulatory costs at a rate of $617 billion
per year of rulemaking. Is that clear? $617 billion in just rulemaking
alone.
This isn't a bill that Congress is passing; it is just rulemaking by
the agency itself. If they continue at the Obama administration's
regulatory pace, this will cost American families $60,000. It is time
to put an end to governing by the Green New Deal, which is very much a
scam, and the first step is to get rid of Administrator Regan.
Madam Chair, I urge the passage of this important amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, I see that we are going to have several
Holman rules coming up.
When the Holman rule was originally put in place years ago, it was
meant to identify people who had committed crimes and we have had some
of those that have been fired. It wasn't meant to identify people who
had policy differences.
Those are what elections are about. Anybody who suggested that on
this side of the aisle we were going to elect the Biden administration,
Biden-Harris administration, that the policies that they enacted were
going to be things we supported, I think we are living in a different
world.
They are enacting their policy. Instead of doing these types of
amendments, and I have opposed every one of them except one, instead of
doing these types of amendments, what we need to do is, if we oppose
them, get out, and elect another President to get the job done.
This doesn't do anything. If you could tell me that they had
committed some crime, something that they didn't have the authority to
do, then maybe we would consider it, but I noticed on all of these
things, there are an awful lot of Holman amendments.
I am only going to speak on one of them. The same message goes for
all of them. Frankly, I don't think we have the authority to do it,
even though the rule of the House says we do.
They are appointed and they are confirmed by the United States
Senate, and this is essentially firing. When you reduce the salary to
$1, you are firing the individual.
I don't think we have that authority. Unless you can show me that
they have done something illegal, high crimes or misdemeanors,
something like that, I think this is silly, but we are going to have
more of them. That is okay. I just wanted to speak on one of them
because I don't want to repeat myself over and over and over again.
It gives sponsors of these amendments the chance to complain about
what the administration is doing and that is okay, but I oppose the
amendment.
Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I appreciate my colleague, Mr. Simpson,
here who is chair of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee. I believe that we absolutely have the authority to
exercise the Holman rule.

{time} 1915

Congress, the House of Representatives, is a majority rule, self-
governing body. We have rules that we vote on to put in place that
allow us to govern and govern ourselves as Members of Congress. We have
the Holman rule to have a check on unelected bureaucrats.
I agree with my colleague that elections do matter and that we do
need to get out and vote for the best candidate. However, my
constituents in Colorado do not have the opportunity to vote for these
unelected bureaucrats who are happy to stay in their position and wait
out a majority of their disliking, and it is very difficult to remove
them.
My colleague is also correct in saying this is essentially a way of
firing these unelected bureaucrats who are abusing their position, who
are using their power, their job, and their position to hurt American
citizens when they are creating rulemaking that is costing $617 billion
per year and increasing the household costs of families by $60,000.
I don't care if that is technically illegal or legal. It is immoral,
it is unjust, and it is unsustainable.
I stand by my amendment to reduce the salary of the EPA director, Mr.
Reagan, to $1 and to exercise our House rule that we have voted on and
that Mr. Simpson even voted on in the Rules package in January of 2023
and hold this unelected bureaucrat accountable.
I am here to represent my constituents and save the American
taxpayers money. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The question was taken; and the Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on
the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado will be
postponed.

Amendment No. 8 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 8 printed in
part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. The salary of Melissa Schwartz, Director of
Communications of the Department of the Interior, shall be
reduced to $1.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman from
Colorado (Ms. Boebert) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Colorado.

[[Page H4833]]

Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I am going to exercise the rule of the
House to offer the Holman rule amendment here in this appropriations
bill, and I rise to offer my amendment that reduces the salary of
Melissa Schwartz, Director of Communications of the Department of the
Interior, to $1.
Melissa Schwartz is yet another horrendous and miserable use of
taxpayer dollars. Look at this. She is a mask-wearing, quadruple-vaxxed
Green New Deal extremist, and unfortunately, a liberal troll who has
harassed me, even in committee hearing rooms.
She shouldn't be employed at the Department of the Interior. Melissa
Schwartz belongs under a bridge. Melissa had the nerve and lack of
respect to confront me in the Halls of Congress following a Department
of the Interior meeting.
In this hearing, she had the audacity to come and personally attack a
Member of Congress. This DEI hire made clear she doesn't work for the
American people, and she is simply another misguided mouthpiece for
liberal extremists that hates conservatives and people that disagree
with her eccentric views.
Rather than focus on agency priorities or the American people's
priorities, facts, and seeking to do what is best for America, Schwartz
spends most of her taxpayer time tweeting nonsense and trying to
promote the Biden regime's radical new deal scam.
Melissa and her colleagues believe that climate change is the
ultimate threat to humanity. They are willing to kill American jobs and
sacrifice the health of our economy at all costs as they pursue their
extremist ideology.
I am committed to taking a stand against the Biden regime's attempt
to cripple American energy and cater to radical extremists.
I urge my colleagues to exercise our voted-on House rule and
implement the Holman rule and support my amendment that reduces the
salary of Melissa Schwartz to $1.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, this amendment is petty and punitive.
Rather than pursuing grudges against public servants, my colleagues
across the aisle should focus their energy on negotiating with the
Senate on a bill to fund the government. I urge my colleagues to reject
this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The question was taken; and the Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on
the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado will be
postponed,

Amendment No. 9 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 9 printed in
part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. The salary of Elizabeth Klien, Director of the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, shall be reduced to $1.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman from
Colorado (Ms. Boebert) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Colorado.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I rise today to offer my amendment that
utilizes the Holman rule to reduce the salary of Director of Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management Elizabeth Klein to $1.
Ms. Klein is a radical environmentalist and a partisan hack comprised
of special interests and mired in ethical conflicts. Her conflicts of
interest were so severe that even Senator Manchin voted to block her
nomination as Deputy Secretary of the Interior.
As deputy director of the New York University School of Law's State
Energy and Environmental Impact Center, Klein placed and paid the
salaries of legal fellows in State attorneys general offices to advance
Michael Bloomberg's radical environmental agenda.
The use of private money to conduct public business is ethically
flawed. Indiana's attorney general categorized Ms. Klein's program as
an ``arrangement through which a private organization or individual can
promote an overtly political agenda by paying the salaries of
government employees.''
In just the first year of the program, SEEIC fellows participated in
filing at least 130 regulatory, legal, and other challenges to
President Trump's policies--successful policies, I might add. Now Ms.
Klein is working for the Federal Government and on the other side of
lawsuits that she helped file. Under President Biden's own ethics
rules, she should be prohibited from participating in matters involving
her former employer.
During her testimony in the House Committee on Natural Resources, I
questioned Ms. Klein about her failed nomination to become Deputy
Secretary of the Interior.
I asked if she had been provided with a recusal list and formally
requested that she provide that list to the committee. Ms. Klein told
the committee that she was happy to provide that list.
Shamefully, it took a letter from the committee and this aggressive
committee questioning for Klein to send the committee a very delayed
recusal list that should have been in place almost immediately after
her hiring.
Ms. Klein spent several years funneling money from Michael Bloomberg
to sue the Trump administration and pay for the Green New Deal scam
lawyers she had placed in attorneys general offices across the country.
Given her myriad of Federal lawsuits and conflicts, there should be
little to nothing that Ms. Klein is allowed to work on at any subagency
within the Department of the Interior.
Senior Federal employees are required to be transparent in their
ethical obligations and act impartially, placing their sole loyalty to
the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America.
Ms. Klein's history of infiltrating State governments with Michael
Bloomberg's minions and supporting lawsuits against the Federal
Government makes it impossible for her to meet the ethical obligations
that her position of public trust requires.
Ms. Klein's continued employment as the director of the Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management has been riddled with a controversial and
extensive history of ethical conflicts.
This is a stain on the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management. Radical partisan extremists have no place in
the Federal Government, especially those in charge of our energy
security.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to restore
integrity to the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, this amendment, once again, is petty and
punitive. I don't think this is the appropriate place to pursue grudges
against hardworking public servants who we ask to do an extremely
important job in Washington.
Let me just say this. This is a use of the Holman rule in a way to--
just talking about my colleague on the other side of the aisle--object
to the work that is going on related to climate change.
This bill is going to be full of amendments from people who either
don't believe in climate change, don't think we should invest in it, or
aren't willing to think about the future.
It is our job to make sure that we are protecting the future of this
planet, of this country, of our economy, of the people who live in the
United States, and the future of our children and grandchildren.
We are going to hear a litany of opposition through amendments,
amendments like these, from people who

[[Page H4834]]

don't believe that we are having the hottest summer on record, who
aren't paying attention to the extreme floods and to the storms that
are impacting us, to the damage it has already done to the economy, to
the billions of dollars we are already spending, and who are going to
use any means possible to block the work we are doing to fight climate
change.
I oppose this amendment. I am going to continue to oppose these
amendments that are really just another way to deny that climate
changes exists and that we have a responsibility to work on it.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I care deeply about our environment. I want
clean air. I want clean water. I want to be a good steward of the land
that we have been gifted here in the United States of America.
I don't believe that pursuing these extremist Green New Deal scam
policies is advancing that agenda that we have. I don't want to spend
tax dollars on these initiatives and this purpose.
I want to do the work of the people, and I believe that my amendment
gets us one step closer to that by reducing the salary of Ms. Klein to
$1.
Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, once again, I will say that we are going to
have a litany of amendments from people who don't believe in climate
change no matter what they say, no matter how many times people on the
other side of the aisle say, oh, no, no, I really want clean air and
clean water, but I don't want to do the hard work that has to be done.
To call these policies extremist Green New Deal policies is just a
way to dismiss that we have a serious problem before us.
We have serious work to do. It is our responsibility to protect the
planet for future generations to make sure that we can continue to live
and exist on this planet.
Madam Chair, I reject this amendment, and I yield back the balance of
my time.

{time} 1930

The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The question was taken; and the Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on
the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado will be
postponed.

Amendment No. 10 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 10 printed in
part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 89, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $3,500,000)''.
Page 115, line 11, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman from
Colorado (Ms. Boebert) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Colorado.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I rise to offer my amendment that redirects
$2 million to hazardous fuel reduction activities within the Bureau of
Land Management to prevent catastrophic wildfires and save lives.
The year I was elected, Colorado suffered the worst fire season in
Colorado history, with the three largest recorded wildfires we have
ever had. Hundreds of homes were destroyed and evacuated, and
Coloradans endured more than 100 days of fire.
The Cameron Peak fire burned more than 208,000 acres and more than
460 structures to the tune of $6 million in property losses. The East
Troublesome fire on the border of my district killed two people.
Coloradans also suffered severe health issues resulting from
significant smoke from these fires.
Wildfire smoke causes serious disorders, including eye and
respiratory tract infections, reduced lung function, bronchitis,
exacerbation of asthma, and even premature death.
Catastrophic wildfires also cause significant damage to the
environment. A few years ago, NASA concluded that one catastrophic
wildfire can emit more carbon emissions in just a few days than all of
the vehicle emissions in an entire State over the course of an entire
year. Decades of mismanagement have left our Nation's Federal lands
vulnerable to insects and disease, ripe for catastrophic wildfires.
The good news is, there is finally significant bipartisan support
throughout the country to prevent wildfires, and the Forest Service is
seeking to treat 20 million acres of national forest and grasslands and
30 million acres of State, local, Tribal, and private lands over the
next 10 years.
However, we need to do more, as Federal agencies have stated that
more than 1 billion acres throughout the country are currently at risk
of catastrophic wildfires. Our Federal lands are overgrown and poorly
managed, making them more susceptible to wildfire, disease, and even
bark beetle attacks.
There are Federal lands in Colorado and the West where we once had 50
to 100 trees per acre, but now we see 500 to 1,000 trees per acre,
proving the overgrowth of our forests. There are also 6 billion
standing dead trees in the Western United States. Some people call that
a problem. I call it a tinderbox waiting to ignite and burn.
Fuel treatments are effective, and Federal agencies have made clear
``over 90 percent of the fuel treatments were effective in changing
fire behavior and/or helping with control of the wildfire.''
Let's put the lives of the American people first, take significant
action to benefit our environment by passing my hazardous fuels
reduction amendment and redirecting $2 million to these hazardous fuels
reduction activities within the Bureau of Land Management.
Madam Chair, I encourage the adoption of my amendment, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this
amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Minnesota is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, I am very, very supportive of increasing
funding in this important program, and I thank the chairman for his
hard work, bipartisan work over the years in combating wildland fires.
However, I simply cannot support the offset proposed for this
amendment. Funding for the EPA in the base bill was already cut $1.8
billion below the enacted level, and this reduction makes it impossible
for the EPA to carry out its mission. We need the worker bees of the
EPA to keep the EPA moving forward for the American public.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I am proud of my party's work in reducing
taxpayer spending by $1.8 billion in this bill, and I also am
encouraged to find even more offsets where we can redirect funding and
put them to a more appropriate use for the taxpayer, showing that their
best interest is what we are all here serving in Washington, D.C., on
their behalf for.
Madam Chair, again, I support the adoption of my amendment that
redirects $2 million for the fuels hazardous management in the Bureau
of Land Management. I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 11 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 11 printed in
part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 88, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $3,500,000)''.
Page 90, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman from
Colorado (Ms. Boebert) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Colorado.

[[Page H4835]]

Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I rise to offer my commonsense amendment
that redirects $2 million of the inspector general to combat waste,
fraud, and abuse within the EPA.
As a proud member of the House Committee on Oversight and
Accountability, I am a firm believer in increasing transparency of
Federal programs and actions within the executive branch. Honest,
hardworking Americans should be able to trust that their tax dollars
are being spent responsibly and for their intended purposes.
The EPA Office of Inspector General is charged with providing
critical oversight over tens of billions of dollars that are spent by
the EPA, U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, as well
as more than $100 billion that is being doled out through the so-called
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the so-called Inflation
Reduction Act that we all know did nothing to reduce inflation. Ask
anyone you meet in the grocery store.
Unlike other inspector general offices, the EPA IG did not receive
additional funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, expansion act, to
carry out the additional oversight mandates associated with this law.
Oversight by the IG is critical to ensure that the EPA, as well as its
grantees and contractors, are responsible stewards of scarce American
tax dollars. The IG also seeks to root out fraud, waste, and abuse,
mismanagement, and misconduct within the agencies it provides oversight
to.
Recently, the IG identified significant taxpayer risks and
vulnerabilities that are associated with the administration's Clean
School Bus Program. Sounds great, right? The inspector general pointed
out: ``There is a high potential for, among other things, falsely
substituting or duplicating requests from multiple Federal agencies for
the same or very similar materials and associated labor.''
Ever since the passage of the Inspector General Act of 1978,
inspectors general have uncovered billions of dollars of fraud and
exposed numerous instances of criminal wrongdoing. The EPA IG is no
exception. During the first half of the fiscal year of 2023, the EPA IG
identified $135 million in wasted spending, fraud avoidance, and other
monetary benefits to American taxpayers.
However, vigilance by the EPA inspector general is needed now more
than ever for the more than $100 billion of Infrastructure Investment
and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act that have been distributed
and are still going out the door. Funding currently allocated in this
bill for the EPA IG is significantly below the budget estimate, yet
they are being asked to do significantly more.
My commonsense amendment will help ensure that the inspector general
has the funding and resources they need to provide strict oversight of
the EPA. I have found a pay-for, so this is not deficit spending. We
are not wasting taxpayer dollars. We are redirecting these $2 million.
I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to redirect important
resources to the inspector general.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this
amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Minnesota is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, to be clear, I fully support the oversight
efforts and believe in the mission of the inspectors general offices
across this government. It is vital.
When I was former chair of this committee, I supported their work. I
supported their work as the former chair of the Defense Subcommittee
and as ranking member, but I have to strongly disagree with the offset
and the treatment of the EPA in this bill in general.
In the base bill, the EPA is cut by nearly 20 percent. Almost every
single account is cut except for the Office of the Inspector General;
so, quite frankly, the inspector general's office does pretty well
under this bill being protected.
Cutting every single program at the EPA and seeking to increase
funding for only one office, which happens to be the oversight office,
is clearly an attempt by the majority to politicize the inspector
general. That, to me, is just unacceptable, Madam Chair, so I oppose
the amendment.
Madam Chair, may I inquire how much time is remaining for both sides?
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Minnesota has 4 minutes remaining,
and the gentlewoman from Colorado has 1 minute remaining.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the
gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson).
Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I
rise in support of this amendment to provide additional funding for the
EPA Office of Inspector General to conduct the important and necessary
oversight agencies.
I have spoken with several of the inspectors general who have said
that with all of the funding that went out last year, funding that went
out to the EPA and to other things, they don't have enough money to do
the oversight to make sure that the money that was spent in the
Inflation Reduction Act, the infrastructure bill, and other things is
properly spent, and so they asked us actually and several of my
colleagues on this side of the aisle, and Ms. Boebert and Mrs. Bice
have also suggested that we need more money in the inspector general's
accounts. I am supporting this amendment, and I hope my colleagues will
also.
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Chair, I yield back.

{time} 1945

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I appreciate Chairman Simpson's remarks, but
I would like to correct a point that was made earlier in the debate.
The bill already does include a provision to provide the IG with a
percentage of funds from the IRA. It is on page 216, section 471.
The gentlewoman might want to double check before making such a broad
statement, again, that it didn't include any funding that could be used
from the IRA.
Mr. Chair, I still oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance
of my time.

The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Bergman). The question is on the amendment
offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 13 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 13
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:

fluid mineral leases

Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce the final rule
titled ``Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process'' (89 Fed.
Reg. 30916; published April 23, 2024).

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman
from Colorado (Ms. Boebert) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Colorado.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, from day one of this regime, Joe Biden and
Kamala Harris declared an all-out war on American energy production and
exploration. They have made very clear that they care more about
appeasing radical climate change activists than protecting the millions
of oil and gas workers and producers in America.
I was disappointed but not surprised when the Biden regime finalized
the rule titled Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process, which
mandates provisions from the partisan so-called Inflation Reduction
Act, which increased the royalty rate for production on Federal lands
while also increasing and creating new fees for domestic energy
producers.
This new fluid mineral leasing rule is further proof that the Biden-
Harris regime is using every tool in their administration to dismantle
American energy production. It increases bonding levels for production
on Federal lands, proposes ending nationwide bonding, and increasing
the minimum bond amounts for individual lease bonds and statewide lease
bonds from $10,000 to $150,000 and from $25,000 to $500,000,
respectively.

[[Page H4836]]

This significant increase will tie up capital that would otherwise be
put back into production and is unjustifiable as there are only 37
orphaned oil and gas wells on BLM-managed lands. These increases will
impact smaller producers who can't afford to operate in the market.
These additional fees will ultimately harm returns and reduce revenues
to State and local governments by disincentivizing development on
Federal lands.
The rule also introduces the idea of using preference criteria to
inform the BLM selection of lands for lease sales. BLM's rationale for
this change is to avoid conflict in areas ``with sensitive cultural,
wildlife, and recreation resources.'' This means that BLM field offices
could avoid leasing in all areas with endangered or threatened species,
critical habitat, or nearby recreation areas, a move that would greatly
limit leasing on our Federal lands.
With the wars happening in the Middle East and Europe, and with OPEC
significantly lowering oil production, we cannot rely on other foreign
nations to control our energy supply. America makes the cleanest energy
in the world. We do it the most responsibly.
American innovation, in particular fracking, has allowed America to
be the global leader in reducing emissions since the year 2000. We need
to stop buying oil and gas from Russia; stop begging OPEC, Venezuela,
and Iran to produce energy for us; and start producing more energy
responsibly here in America.
I am ready to bring back the American roughneck and to drill, baby,
drill because no one does it better than we do here in the United
States of America. We must restore American energy dominance and
produce clean, reliable energy right here in America.
Mr. Chair, I urge the adoption of my amendment, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Minnesota is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, first and foremost, I do not believe that
the United States Government purchases oil from Russia. We have
sanctions against them. We do not purchase oil from Iran.
Mr. Chair, this amendment is one more controversial poison pill rider
that sadly shows extremist Republicans are not interested in bills that
can gain bipartisan support and become law.
The fluid mineral lease and leasing program rules haven't been
updated for years, and it is our responsibility to make sure taxpayers
get a good return on our natural resources when they are put out to
lease.
What this tries to do is just update these outdated fiscal terms on
the offshore oil and gas leasing program, including bonding
requirements to protect taxpayers, royalty rates, and minimum bids to
make sure that U.S. taxpayers receive a fair amount for their public
lands when they are used as lease materials.
The rule aims to increase returns to the American taxpayers. I can't
say this enough. It is to make sure that taxpayers are getting a fair
shake, that they are assured of a fair return from the extraction of
natural resources on public lands, and to discourage speculators and
improve responsible stewardship as directed by Congress.
We are here to protect the cultural and natural resources of our
public lands for future generations, and that means when they go out to
bid, we make sure that the royalty rates and the minimum bids serve the
taxpayers well and bonding requirements to protect taxpayers are put
into place.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr.
Simpson).
Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the amendment.
This administration continues to put out rulemaking that seeks to
attack American energy producers with burdensome costs and regulations.
These new costs will ultimately be passed along to consumers, driving
up energy costs for American families and further shifting production
to countries that are not our friends.
We must utilize an all-of-the-above approach to energy production and
stop hampering domestic energy production.
It would be interesting to note, in the year 2020, we were actually
energy independent in this country. We are no longer. Yet, we have the
energy here in this country, but we refuse to use it. Therefore, I
support the gentlewoman's amendment.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I want to state another fact for the record.
When we extract oil and natural gas out of public lands, it is sold on
a global market, so when it is sold, it is sold to other folks. If we
are running into energy independence challenges as was pointed out,
part of that is because it is sold on the global market.

I also want to point out for the record that it has been almost four
decades since taxpayers have had bonding requirements, royalty rates,
and minimum bids looked at to make sure they are protected.
Let me close with this: Once again, my Republican colleagues are
disregarding the law and trying to circumvent the rigorous practices
that are in place to update rules. Nullifying public comments also
would happen with this amendment.
We can't close our eyes to the impacts of climate change that we are
experiencing, as our economy, health, livelihoods, food security, and
quality of life all depend upon a healthy ecosystem.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment and focus
instead on addressing climate change and being good stewards of our
public lands and resources for the benefit of future generations. That
means refreshing and updating almost 40-year-old oil, gas, and mineral
leasing.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 14 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 14
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the spending reduction
account), insert the following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
(DEIA) Council at the Department of the Interior.

[[Page H4837]]

about the disgraced Director of the Secret Service who resigned today
after scrutiny from both Republicans and Democrats and those all
throughout our country.
Mr. Chair, we should no longer allow DEI in the Federal Government to
continue to divide America and waste taxpayer money. It is absurd to
fund these diverse policies, and it is time for Congress to put an end
to them once and for all.
The Department of the Interior should be focused on restoring
American energy dominance, not pandering to radical leftists. This is
not about race, gender, or anything else included in the DEI agenda of
the left. This is about having the best, most equipped, most qualified
personnel in their positions, no matter their race or gender.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to abolish
this demonizing DEI council, and I reserve the balance of my time.

{time} 2000

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Minnesota is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in the strongest opposition possible
to this amendment.
One of our greatest strengths as a nation is we learn, we grow, and
we change. That means diversity is a great strength in this country.
There was a time, Mr. Chair, when women couldn't vote. There was a
time when juries were only men. There was a time when it was
unthinkable for a woman to join a police department or a woman to be a
doctor. Her place was to be a nurse. There was a time in our military
in which women could be test pilots here at home during the war, but
after the war, they were no longer allowed to be pilots in the sky
flying commercially.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is DEI. The American experience is
not a singular experience, and diversity programs exist to recognize
this.
I am going to give another example, Mr. Chair. When I was in the
State legislature in Minnesota, we had a vibrant Hmong community that
came here after the Lao war in Vietnam. It was a secret war in Laos.
The Hmong people came here, and there were very outdoors people.
In understanding and making sure that they understood our natural
resource laws, we decided we wanted to reach out and include that
diversity. I was part of the legislation that was written. We asked our
natural resources department to look for qualified people to hire--from
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia--to work with our wonderful diverse community
in the Twin Cities and have them feel included and wanted because we
wanted them to experience the great outdoors of Minnesota.
We did that. They were well qualified and well respected. Just this
year, I was surprised that one of the fathers came up to me when I was
doing my recruitment and acceptance for going into the military
academies. He said: You don't remember me, but because of you, I felt
like I could do this job, and I did it well.
He retired from the State of Minnesota working for the Department of
Natural Resources, and I appointed his son to go to one of our military
academies. That is the beauty of our country.
The fact is also that business leaders agree that having a diverse
and inclusive workforce is critical to their overall performance. I was
in sales for years. If you are selling to somebody, you better
understand their culture, and you better understand their needs and
their wants. The business community embraces this.
The attempt to defund or to block the implementation of these efforts
only takes us back to a time in our Nation's diversity when women were
not seen as an asset.
I oppose this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I am not going to speak on this any longer. This has been
replayed over and over and over again. For me, it is hateful, it is
hurtful, and it is harmful. We amended our Constitution numerous times
to include diversity and inclusion.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Colorado has 2 minutes
remaining.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, America is great, and we are going to make
America even greater in the upcoming months and years.
America is diverse. America is the great melting pot of the world. We
have some of the world's best and the world's finest.
It is amazing. All it took were people coming together to adopt the
19th Amendment to allow women to vote. It took people coming together
and collaborating to hire women as police officers or firefighters or
pilots. Heck, I have flown a plane, a little Husky 180. It was a great
time enjoying the sights of Colorado and all of the mountainsides.
We have an economy right now that is failing because we have a party
and an administration that is prioritizing DEI, something we didn't
need to have women as police officers or firefighters or pilots or
servicemembers, those who would offer up their own lives to serve in
the honor of our great country, who would stand for our flag.
Because of DEI and this administration's woke agenda and their
radical views, we have now been relegated into poverty. I remember a
time also where women could, if they chose, stay home and raise their
children. Now women are forced to work and have homes with two incomes
because they cannot afford their groceries or their gasoline to get
their children to school. It is all because of the policies of this
radical agenda.
I am fine with diversity. America is known for being a welcoming
country.
This DEI program isn't what makes America great, and we never needed
it to be great. I am calling for it to come to an end.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 15 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 15
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the spending reduction
account), insert the following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to carry out the Bicycle Subsidy Benefit Program of
the Department of the Interior.

[[Page H4838]]

must redirect our attention and their money to much more important
things than subsidizing employees for riding bicycles.
The Biden administration has unleashed record inflation on Americans
that has decimated our bank and retirement accounts, increased gas
prices to record levels, raised utility bills, drove up grocery costs,
and made it harder to live for the American people.
The primary root cause of this record-breaking inflation was
trillions of dollars of wasteful Federal spending. This excessive
spending has real-life consequences that the people I represent are
experiencing every single day.
American families will pay an $8,581 inflation tax over the next
year. They didn't vote for that, but unfortunately, too many elected
officials did.
Currently, 20 million Americans cannot pay their electric bill. We
have seen a 4.3 percent decline in real wages since Joe Biden and
Kamala Harris entered the White House. Americans have lost more than $2
trillion in retirement savings, savings they have worked their lives
for.
America is $35 trillion in debt, and Democrats want us to continue to
print money and pay bureaucrats to bike to work when our Commander in
Chief himself cannot even ride a bike.
I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to cut wasteful, silly,
Federal spending by prohibiting funding for the Bicycle Subsidy Benefit
Program at the Department of the Interior.
Mr. Chair, I sure do hope we can get this one through. I reserve the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in
personalities toward the President.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Minnesota is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, the amendment would block the Department of
the Interior's Bicycle Subsidy Benefit Program which encourages Federal
employees to use bicycles to commute to the office.
We all know what the traffic is going to be like here tomorrow. Bikes
would be handy.
The Department created this program in response to a 1993--this is
not a new, President Biden-Vice President Harris program. It has been
around since 1993. Congress authorized it, and Congress allowed each
agency head to establish a program to encourage employees to use a
means other than single-occupancy motor vehicles to commute to and from
work. That could include taking the subway, taking the bus, or riding
your bike.
This is a government-wide program, and the amendment unfairly targets
the Department of the Interior employees. I urge my colleagues to treat
all employees with fairness, and let's reject this amendment.
Let's also make sure that when we are talking about it, we have our
facts accurate. In 1993, Congress made a law which authorized each
agency to establish this program.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Moore of Utah). The question is on the
amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 16 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 16
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

{time} 2015

There used to be 112 drilling rigs on the West Slope, but now we have
four rigs. Now not-in-my-backyard extremists and job-killing Federal
policies have driven away those good-paying jobs, those good-paying
jobs that also supported local businesses.
The Bureau of Land Management draft resource management plan for the
Colorado River Valley field office and Grand Junction field office is
the latest fossil fuels attack.
This proposed land grab could remove over 1.6 million acres of public
lands in Colorado from future oil and gas leasing and establish nine
different areas of critical environmental concern on over 100,000 acres
of BLM land. If this proposal is finalized, the United States will lose
access to vital energy resources, many more than the 600 fewer wells
projected by the agency to be lost by 2043.
The consequences will be felt far beyond the State of Colorado where
residents will lose their livelihoods and see increased gas and energy
prices, yes, even more than the increases we are seeing today. BLM is
proposing to close all areas with no known, low, and moderate oil and
gas development potential and is basing its analysis off the oil and
gas potential on out-of-date information that does not take into
consideration modern technology.
The Permian Basin was once thought to be low to medium, and now it is
the highest producing oil field in the world. As a result, the Permian
Basin would be closed if this proposal had been in place in New Mexico
and Texas prior to the significant amount of production that is now
occurring.
This proposed land grab is nothing short of partisan politics meant
to further restrict access to the oil and natural gas development that
could reinvigorate the economy of the West Slope of Colorado and help
ensure energy security for all Americans.
There are already stringent standards and requirements in place for
oil and gas producers that aim at reducing environmental and cultural
impacts. This proposed rule is yet another blatant land grab disguised
to dismantle the fossil fuel industry and force a green transition.
Closing the door to over 1.6 million acres of vital public lands for
energy development is not just an issue of economics. It is a threat to
our Nation's energy independence and security.
This proposal goes beyond necessary environmental considerations and
instead seeks to restrict access to promising resources, hindering the
potential of economic growth and prosperity, particularly in the West
Slope of Colorado where we have been regulated into poverty thanks to
the Biden-Harris administration.
Rogue bureaucrats at the BLM shouldn't be unilaterally locking up
more land in Colorado. It is urgent that we block this overreach and
prioritize responsible energy production. That will help reduce gas
prices during these challenging times.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.

[[Page H4839]]

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, this amendment is one more controversial
poison pill policy that sadly shows that extremist Republicans are not
interested in bills that can gain bipartisan support and become law.
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the BLM drafted a
proposed draft resource management plan and draft supplemental
environmental impact statement for the Colorado River Valley field
office and Grand Junction field office. This plan is an updated,
comprehensive, and environmentally advocate framework for managing uses
of these public lands and resources. Sadly, this amendment seeks to
block that plan.
We are here to protect the welfare of the American public and
preserve our public lands and resources for future generations. Once
again, my Republican colleagues are disregarding the law and trying to
circumvent the rigorous process that is in place to update resource
management plans. The amendment also nullifies the public comments that
have been collected by legislating the outcome.
We cannot close our eyes to the impacts of climate change we are
experiencing as our economy, health, livelihoods, food security, and
quality of life all depend on healthy ecosystems.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment and to focus
instead on addressing climate change and being good stewards of our
public lands and resources for the benefit of future generations.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, on behalf of Coloradans, I am here to say:
End the land grabs, bring back the American roughnecks, and drill,
baby, drill.
Mr. Chair, I urge the adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I just want to say one thing about my
colleague's amendment. She is making the case for the fact that we have
to continue to drill for oil or natural gas in Colorado, and I
understand the concerns that people have when the economy changes. I
can imagine how difficult it is when people have to look at new
opportunities as opposed to continuing the careers that they have
always done.
However, the reason we are here addressing this and the reason any
changes would be made at a Federal level are because we are facing
catastrophic climate change. The scientists have told us we have no
time left to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel, and yet my colleague
is talking about how we need to bring more fossil fuels back into our
energy stream.
We have made incredible strides with solar power, wind power, and all
of the renewable energy we are investing in today. She talks about her
role to protect Colorado. Well, my role is to protect the State of
Maine. I invite the gentlewoman to come and visit anytime. The ocean in
Maine is warming at a rate 99 percent faster than the oceans around the
world.
I talked to a fisherman this weekend when I was home, and I asked him
how fishing was going this summer as the weather has warmed up and as
the ocean has warmed up. We are seeing a serious depletion in the
fishing stocks. They can't survive in warmer waters. They migrate to
colder waters. They devastate the economy of our fishermen.
If the gentlewoman wants to preserve the economy in her State, then
it is important to think about renewable energy and ways to make sure
that we can support an energy future that works for all of us and not
just for her own State's needs.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 17 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 17
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the spending reduction
account), insert the following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for the establishment of a national monument in
Montrose County, Colorado; Mesa County, Colorado; Monezuma
County, Colorado; San Juan County, Colorado; or Dolores
County, Colorado, under chapter 3203 of title 54, United
States Code (commonly referred to as the ``Antiquities Act of
1906'').

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman
from Colorado (Ms. Boebert) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Colorado.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer my amendment that prohibits
funds made available by this act from being used to declare a national
monument with the use of the Antiquities Act in Montrose, Mesa,
Montezuma, San Juan, and Dolores Counties in western Colorado.
Green new scam extremists in Colorado have been petitioning Joe Biden
and Kamala Harris to use the Antiquities Act to designate a roughly
400,000-acre Dolores River Canyon County national monument.
The proposed designation of the Dolores River as a national monument
threatens to impose severe economic hardships on the communities in
western Colorado. This unilateral land grab will cancel all mining in
the uranium-rich area, end hunting and cattle grazing, and curtail
motorized travel. These are practices that have been part of the
Western way of life for generations.
The Biden-Harris regime is no stranger to abusing the Antiquities
Act. In little over 1 year ago, they locked up over 225,000 acres in
Colorado with the stroke of a pen and prevented Colorado from using our
public lands for activities that we want and need. This is a right of
Coloradans and Americans just taken away.
Taking even more Federal lands off the table for multiple use is
attacking American energy production, American jobs, American workers,
and leaving American consumers to pay the tab.
This amendment ensures Joe Biden and Kamala Harris cannot lock up
land by executive fiat and encourages the administration to look for
stakeholder-supported solutions like my bipartisan, bicameral Dolores
River National Conservation Area and Special Management Act.
This is something I worked on with my Colorado Senators. We found a
way to compromise without compromising our principles. We came to a
place of agreement.
The Dolores NCA seeks to designate the Dolores River Corridor for the
best preservation, benefit, and access of the majority. It is the
result of over a decade of community engagement between rafters,
agriculture producers, outdoor enthusiasts, water rights stakeholders,
conservationists, miners, loggers, businessowners, and all the impacted
local governments and Tribes.
Disregarding the agreements achieved and the significant time vested
in the Dolores NCA would be an absolute insult to citizens of southwest
Colorado and would contradict DOI's own description of the Antiquities
Act which states: ``The administration consistently strives to take
into account the interests of this wide range of stakeholders.''
This proposed national monument designation has the potential to
restrict access and land use in ways that threaten and subvert the will
of the people in Colorado. I have constituents on the ground daily
fighting this proposal, and I am here on their behalf to bring an end
to it once and for all through the position they have elected me to,
and I urge adoption of my amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. This amendment would prohibit the use of any Federal
funds to create national monuments under the Antiquities Act of 1906 in
Montrose, Mesa, Montezuma, San Juan, or Dolores Counties in Colorado.
The Antiquities Act provides the President with the authority to
designate national monuments in order to protect objects of historic or
scientific interest.

[[Page H4840]]

This amendment inappropriately restricts the President's ability to
declare national monuments in specific parts of the country. Both
Republican and Democratic Presidents have used this authority to
increase the protection of special Federal lands. It goes against 100
years of American tradition to protect the Nation's cultural and
natural resources.
The Antiquities Act represents an important achievement in the
progress of conservation and preservation efforts in the United States.
Congress should not stand in the way of these achievements.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chairman, the gentlewoman from Maine recently said
that it is her priority to focus on Maine and that I should focus on
Colorado.
Well, here we are with an amendment related to my home State of
Colorado, and I am here to protect my constituents and our land from
another land grab from the Biden-Harris administration.
The gentlewoman from Maine has complained of concerns that she has
with so-called climate changes and warming of the water. If that is the
Maine concern, then perhaps the gentlewoman from Maine would like to
partner with me from ending energy production in China who has the
worst regulations and emits the most emissions of anyplace in the world
and stop buying solar panels from China where they are using child and
slave labor in mines in the Congo and work to partner with me for
better American energy production.
It is more reliable, it is more efficient, it is cleaner, and we are
creating jobs. In the meantime, I will stick right here on Colorado
with this amendment, and the gentlewoman from Maine can focus on Maine
as she said she would prefer to do.
Mr. Chair, I urge the adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.

{time} 2030

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I reiterate once again that climate change is
a serious issue. It is something to be debated with facts and actual
information, not just speculation or things heard on the internet.
One of the reasons we passed the Inflation Reduction Act is to bring
some of the manufacturing for renewable energy back into the United
States, and I strongly support that.
I support all countries making a serious effort to reduce their
investment in fossil fuel and their dependence on fossil fuel. That is
what we were debating in the last amendment.
This amendment is about national monuments. Again, I reiterate that
national monuments and the designation of them has been an important
tool for Presidents of both parties. We should not be doing anything
that diminishes that opportunity for an administration.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 18 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 18
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce section 134 of
the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7434).

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman
from Colorado (Ms. Boebert) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Colorado.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer my amendment to prohibit
funds from being used for the EPA's greenhouse gas reduction fund.
The Inflation Reduction Act, which should have been more accurately
named the Green New Deal in disguise, established a taxpayer-funded $27
billion slush fund that sends taxpayer dollars to far-left political
organizations and--their favorite--the Chinese Communist Party.
This green bank is nearly three times more than the EPA's entire
fiscal year 2023 appropriated funds. Eliminating this slush fund will
reduce the budget deficit, protect the government against corruption,
and stop China from receiving our taxpayer dollars.
When asked during a committee hearing if the EPA could guarantee that
none of the funds from this green bank slush fund would go to China,
the EPA official in charge of overseeing how funds were spent literally
stated that it is a little more complicated. He didn't say yes or no,
but it is a little more complicated.
Over 20 million Americans are currently behind on their utility
bills. The American people are not begging for more electric vehicles
or solar panels. They are asking for lower energy costs.
In fact, the world is demanding it of us because we could literally
export freedom to our allies across the globe if we were to export our
liquefied natural gas rather than purchase energy from our enemies.
If Democrats wanted to do something about the current energy crisis
rather than pandering to radical environmental extremists, the minority
would unleash American energy instead of forcing us to use inadequate
and unreliable green energy. These policies will not only fail to meet
our economy's energy needs, but they will also make America reliant on
wind turbines and solar panels that are made in China.
America is an energy superpower. We should use our vast resources to
restore our economy's vitality, ensure our national security, and put
hardworking Americans back to work.
Mr. Chair, I urge the passage of my commonsense amendment to put an
end to the Biden-Harris regime's pandering to the CCP, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, this amendment, again, is purely an anti-
climate messaging amendment. It prohibits funds for section 134 of the
Clean Air Act, which is better known as the greenhouse gas reduction
fund.
The greenhouse gas reduction fund is a $27 billion investment to
mobilize financing and private capital to address the climate crisis,
ensure our country's economic competitiveness, and promote energy
independence.
Mr. Chair, I note that all of that $27 billion is mandatory spending.
This bill does not contain any funding for the greenhouse gas reduction
fund. The effect of this amendment is nothing more than anti-climate
rhetoric.
We are here to protect the welfare of the American public, and we
cannot close our eyes to the impact of climate change. We need to make
smart investments that will result in more resilient communities,
mitigate the impacts of climate change, and protect our world for
future generations.
Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 19 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 19
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. The salary of Deb Haaland, Secretary of the
Interior, shall be reduced to $1.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman
from Colorado (Ms. Boebert)

[[Page H4841]]

and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Colorado.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer my amendment that utilizes
the Holman rule to reduce the salary of Secretary Deb Haaland to $1.
Under Haaland's leadership, the Department of the Interior has shut
down pipelines, delayed federally mandated onshore and offshore leases,
repealed commonsense streamlining regulations, shuttered mining
projects, failed to comply with numerous laws, and so much more.
She also has quite a history of conflicts of interest. Under
Haaland's leadership, the Department of the Interior has cultivated
close and potentially improper relationships with extreme environmental
activist groups, many of which are working overtime to drive the Biden-
Harris administration's social and environmental justice agenda.
Her daughter is a member of the Pueblo Action Alliance, which opposes
all oil and gas production on Federal lands, advocates for the
dismantling of America's economic and political system, and believes
America is irredeemable because there is no ``opportunity to reform a
system that isn't founded on good morals or values.''
Haaland's daughter even engaged in a violent protest with 100 or more
protesters, breaking through police barriers and trying to get into the
Department of the Interior's building. Did she just want to hug her
mom, or was this a real act of violence with intent?
Despite multiple attempts from this institution to do its
constitutional duty and provide congressional oversight, the Department
of the Interior has failed to respond to 80 percent of the requests
from Congress.
I would be remiss not to mention Haaland's all-out war on American
energy production, from canceling the Keystone XL pipeline on day one,
imposing new rules to block pipeline projects, canceling oil and gas
leases on millions of acres in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico,
suspending oil drilling leases in a small sliver of ANWR even though
Congress passed a law for this very purpose, imposing a moratorium on
new Federal oil and gas leases throughout Federal lands, failing to
meet the statutory deadlines for quarterly lease sales, and taking
countless other anti-energy measures that have contributed to gas
prices and inflation reaching record levels.
We need to make America energy dominant once and for all. It is time
for us to have energy security, and it is clear that it won't happen
with Haaland leading the Department of the Interior.
Mr. Chair, I urge the adoption of this important amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 20 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 20
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. The salary of Tracy Stone-Manning, Director of
the Bureau of Land Management, shall be reduced to $1.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman
from Colorado (Ms. Boebert) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Colorado.
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer my amendment that utilizes
the Holman rule to reduce the salary of BLM Director Tracy Stone-
Manning to $1.
Mr. Chair, let's call a spade a spade. Tracy Stone-Manning is a
terrorist, and her terrorist booby traps still threaten the lives of
foresters and firefighters to this very day. Tree-spiking Tracy's
abysmal record as BLM Director has included radical anti-energy
activism, engagement in ecoterrorism, failure to carry out laws, and
prioritization of climate initiatives and public land grabs over
domestic energy production.
Tracy Stone-Manning is a radicalized environmental terrorist whose
repugnant philosophy includes tenets such as ``we must breed fewer
consuming humans,'' children are ``environmental hazards,'' ranchers
are ``destroying the West,'' and the solution to houses threatened by
wildfires is ``to let them burn.''
Her hateful language spilled over into ecoterrorism when she became
involved in a tree-spiking attack, threatening the lives of wildland
firefighters, foresters, and mill workers in Idaho.
Stone-Manning's extremist antigovernment, pro-population control,
anti-law enforcement, pro-wildlife, tree-worshipping, antifarmer, and
anti-responsible energy views should have been more than enough to
prevent her from getting to this position, but her involvement in an
ecoterrorist, tree-spiking attack, threatening the lives of wildland
firefighters, loggers, and mill workers, is beyond the pale.
She also perjured herself to Congress when she lied twice to the
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The first lie was
that she denied ever being investigated by U.S. special agents, and the
second lie was that she denied participating in tree spiking. She
belongs not in the Department of the Interior but in Federal prison.
Mr. Chair, Tracy Stone-Manning, tree-spiking Manning, has to go, and
I urge the passage of this amendment, as lives are still at risk for
her ecoterrorism today.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado
will be postponed.

{time} 2045

Amendment No. 21 Offered by Mr. Brecheen

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 21
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the Indian Health Service to provide gender-
transition services or gender-affirming care.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, this amendment prohibits the IHS, Indian
Health Services, from providing sex change surgeries at their
hospitals, clinics, or reimbursing providers who perform those sex
change surgeries.
IHS is receiving $5.2 billion in appropriations from the bill we are
debating. We cannot allow that money to go toward mutilation of
individuals, turning them forever into patients of the pharmaceutical
industry. If you don't believe this is happening, look no further than
the main website for IHS. It has a host of resources for individuals
seeking surgery and guidance for so-called care providers.
Their website tells you how to acquire surgery, how to pay for it,
and

[[Page H4842]]

where to go on the day of surgery. The IHS has the gall to refer to
this as ``gender-affirming care,'' which according to them, ``helps
transgender and nonbinary people live as their true selves.''
Cutting off healthy body parts and furthering mental instability is
not care.
In 2020, a Portland, Oregon, based affiliate of IHS developed a plan
to provide sex change surgeries to its patients. It is publicly
available online and you can read it. They stated unequivocally their
right to provide sex change surgeries to Tribal citizens utilizing
Indian Health Services.
As of fiscal year 2024, that group is on its second cohort of
individuals being operated on. I am one of, I believe, two Republican
Members that carry a CDIB card. I am a member of the Choctaw Nation. I
find this practice abhorrent.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, as my colleague well knows, the Federal
Government has a special trust responsibility and legal obligation to
provide quality healthcare to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Unfortunately, we have fallen short of providing the funding that is
required to overcome the staggering health disparities and address the
health crisis in Indian Country.
Healthcare is provided to sovereign and independent nations, and we
have no right to discriminate against or dictate the health services
they choose to provide.
I am disappointed that my colleague would want to prohibit funding
for any healthcare service to American Indians and Alaska Natives
because of his own partisan agenda.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, just in closing, this is not a historical
practice as it relates to Tribal peoples.
This is a recent cultural fad that defies the face of hundreds of
years of established norms. A dark cloud of confusion is gripping this
country. It is over our Federal Government. It has led to IHS
inflicting this harm on Tribal citizens.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 22 Offered by Mr. Brecheen

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 22
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 153, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $48,895,000)''.
Page 226, line 4, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $48,895,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, this amendment reduces funding for the
National Endowment for the Arts back to 2019 levels. It is a modest cut
at $49 million, an overall cut of less than 0.13 percent of the entire
bill.
This leaves $155 million for the program on which to operate. There
is nothing inherently wrong with artistic programs, but there is
something wrong about continuing to increase Washington's deficit
spending on unnecessary programs when our national debt is at $35
trillion and climbing.
This commonsense amendment simply returns us back to pre-COVID
spending levels. To help my colleagues understand how bad Washington's
spending problem is, the CBO projects a deficit of $1.9 trillion for
fiscal year 2025. That will grow to $2.9 trillion in another 10 years
by 2034.
This excessive spending is going to drive our national debt to record
levels. It is going to exacerbate the inflation crisis that all
Americans are feeling. We all know the average family of four is
struggling to afford the same goods and services as compared to January
2021, spending $1,300 per month more to afford those goods because of
devaluation of their currency. That is $16,000 over the course of a
year.
According to Zillow, Americans are also now having to earn $106,000
in order to comfortably afford a home. That is an 80 percent increase
from the suggested income of $59,000 just in 2020.
How can we, in good conscience, continue to contribute to the
economic crisis being felt around the country because of deficit
spending and currency devaluation driving inflation? I ask my
colleagues, can we not go back to 2019 spending levels? Was that not
enough government?
If Republicans are truly going to be fiscally responsible, each one
of us has to check our conscience on what we say and support
commonsense amendments that are truly in line with fiscal sanity.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, the National Endowment for the Arts is the
Federal agency that funds, promotes, and strengthens the creative
capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with diverse
opportunities for arts participation. This small but mighty agency
supports arts organizations and artists in every congressional district
in the country and these investments yield enormous economic benefits.
This amendment would cut the NEA by nearly one-third. That would
result in a reduction of an estimated 900 awards. These funds are one-
to-one cost-share matched, which means that funding from 56 State and
jurisdictional art agencies and 6 regional arts organizations would
also be cut by nearly one-third. That would be a reduction of roughly
$20 million. This means that there would be nearly one-third cuts
across the board to each and every State art agency.
The arts have an incredible value as a positive tool for economic
development, education, and community building, and deeply cutting this
important agency would cause catastrophic harm.
Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Idaho
(Mr. Simpson), chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related
Agencies Subcommittee.
Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. When we reduce
spending overall, we have to make decisions. We have to make
priorities. One of the things that we have tried to protect to the
extent possible, because it was such a small part of our overall bill,
was the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for
the Humanities because I have seen what they do in communities all
across Idaho and across this country. Through the NEA grants, Americans
in communities that we represent have access to arts and art programs.
I am not worried about the arts in Washington or in New York or in
Los Angeles, but I am worried about the arts in Shelley, Idaho, a small
town, but they have an arts council, and they do a great job.
I continue to see the impact that funding has, and most of these
grants go out, as the ranking member said, to small communities to help
with their art councils and so forth.
While I appreciate my colleague's effort to rein in spending, I
cannot support this deep cut of the National Endowment for the Arts, so
I oppose this amendment.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, this amendment is incredibly destructive. It
would result in a cut to services for active military and veterans by
nearly one-third. The NEA has recently expanded its Creative Forces
program outside of clinical settings into communities across the
country. This would be a huge setback.

[[Page H4843]]

In addition to expanding Creative Forces since FY19, the NEA has
increased its engagement in rural communities through additional
investment in Citizens' Institute on Rural Design, as well as Tribal
communities and Tribes, and these would all suffer.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen).
The amendment was rejected.

Amendment No. 23 Offered by Mr. Brecheen

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 23
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 154, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $48,895,000)''.
Page 154, line 2, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $53,895,000)''.
Page 226, line 4, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $48,895,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, this amendment reduces funding for the
National Endowment for the Humanities back to 2019 levels. Just as with
the previous amendment, this is a modest cut of $49 million that
represents 0.13 percent of the entire bill, leaving $155 million for
the program to operate.
Again, there is nothing inherently wrong with humanities programs,
but Congress can't continue to steadily increase programs year after
year as we watch our national debt continue to climb.
While this is a small cut, Congress must start cutting. If we are
going to fight to make sure that the blessing of liberty is preserved
for the next generation, we are going to have to get serious about the
things that are absolutely necessary, compared to those things that we
have a choice over. If we had taken the time to look at what is
happening to us as a country, we have gone from a country that was
ascribing to 18 enumerated powers when this grand experiment in self-
governance was setup. Those 18 enumerated powers in Article I, Section
8 list out those things that Congress is supposed to be responsible
for, and yet it leaves the States programs like this. So as much as I
philosophically believe that we are in violation of the 10th Amendment
that leaves all these authorities back to the States, I am not going
that far.
My hope is to have a tug of war, to pull my colleagues along to my
line of thinking to say, if we can't make a determination that our
Founders ever intended for the Federal Government to be doing this type
of operation, can we at least agree that we can go back to the
government that we had in 2019 which since then we have increased total
discretionary spending by 30 percent?
We increased discretionary spending by 30 percent during COVID. We
increased it with the thought we needed to spend more as a Band-Aid to
get through it, but we never returned back to normal. We have a $2
trillion deficit ahead of us.
I am asking, on programs that our Founders listed out and said these
are the things you can do, 18 listed, everything else is left to the
States--can we not go back to 2019 spending levels?
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. This misguided amendment would significantly hinder
support for high-quality projects and programs that reach every State
and territory and benefit millions of Americans.
The NEH is a unique source of funding for a wide range of local,
nonprofit institutions and organizations across the country. These
grants strengthen teaching and learning in schools and colleges;
facilitate research and original scholarship; provide opportunities for
lifelong learning; preserve and provide access to cultural and
educational resources; and strengthen the institutional base of the
humanities.
NEH grants are sound investments in our communities. These awards
stimulate significant financial participation and commitment by local
and private partners. We should be doing more for the NEH, not less.
Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr.
Simpson), chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee.
Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment much like the one
previous amendment with the arts.
I appreciate the gentleman's attempts to reduce Federal spending.
When he says that this is a small portion of the overall budget, it is
a third of the budget of this agency, so it is significant to them.

{time} 2100

I have worked with the National Endowment for the Arts, I have worked
with the National Endowment for the Humanities, and I have worked with
the State Endowment for the Humanities.
The work that they have done has been incredible. They preserve
history in the State of Idaho. They bring in speakers. They have book
signings and authors that come in. They come into towns in Idaho that
would have never had these types of opportunities. It is amazing, the
turnout that people exhibit when they go to these authors' speeches and
so forth.
They help support our museums and other historical sites. I think
this is one of the really good things the government does, so I am
going to oppose this amendment.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Oklahoma
will be postponed.

Announcement by the Acting Chair

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, proceedings
will now resume on those amendments printed in part B of House Report
118-602 on which further proceedings were postponed, in the following
order:
Amendment No. 7 by Ms. Boebert of Colorado.
Amendment No. 8 by Ms. Boebert of Colorado.
Amendment No. 9 by Ms. Boebert of Colorado.
Amendment No. 18 by Ms. Boebert of Colorado.
Amendment No. 20 by Ms. Boebert of Colorado.
Amendment No. 23 by Mr. Brecheen of Oklahoma.
The Chair will reduce to 2 minutes the minimum time for any
electronic vote after the first vote in this series.

Amendment No. 7 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on amendment No. 7, printed in part B of House Report
118-602, offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert), on
which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes
prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.

Recorded Vote

The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 146,
noes 264, answered ``present'' 1, not voting 26, as follows:

[Roll No. 381]

AYES--146

Aderholt
Alford
Allen
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bean (FL)
Bentz
Bergman
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brecheen
Buchanan
Burchett
Burgess
Burlison
Cammack
Carl

[[Page H4844]]

Carter (TX)
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Collins
Comer
Crane
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Donalds
Duarte
Duncan
Dunn (FL)
Emmer
Estes
Fallon
Feenstra
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Foxx
Franklin, Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gonzales, Tony
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hageman
Harris
Harshbarger
Hern
Hill
Houchin
Huizenga
Hunt
Issa
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (PA)
Kelly (MS)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Langworthy
Latta
Lee (FL)
Lesko
Letlow
Lopez
Loudermilk
Luna
Luttrell
Mace
Malliotakis
Mann
Massie
Mast
McClain
McCormick
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Mills
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Ogles
Owens
Palmer
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rodgers (WA)
Rose
Rosendale
Roy
Rulli
Rutherford
Scalise
Self
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Strong
Tenney
Tiffany
Timmons
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Van Orden
Wagner
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Yakym
Zinke

NOES--264

Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Amo
Amodei
Auchincloss
Bacon
Baird
Balint
Barragan
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bice
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bowman
Boyle (PA)
Brown
Brownley
Bucshon
Budzinski
Calvert
Caraveo
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carey
Carson
Carter (GA)
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Casar
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Chavez-DeRemer
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Ciscomani
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Cole
Connolly
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crawford
Crockett
Cuellar
Curtis
D'Esposito
Davids (KS)
Davis (IL)
Davis (NC)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Deluzio
DeSaulnier
Dingell
Doggett
Edwards
Ellzey
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Ferguson
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fletcher
Flood
Fong
Foster
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Frost
Gallego
Garbarino
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Garcia, Mike
Garcia, Robert
Golden (ME)
Goldman (NY)
Gomez
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gonzalez-Colon
Gottheimer
Granger
Graves (LA)
Green, Al (TX)
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Himes
Hinson
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Hudson
Huffman
Ivey
Jackson (IL)
Jackson (NC)
Jacobs
James
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Joyce (OH)
Kamlager-Dove
Kaptur
Kean (NJ)
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kiggans (VA)
Kildee
Kiley
Kilmer
Kim (CA)
Kim (NJ)
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
LaLota
Landsman
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
LaTurner
Lawler
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Leger Fernandez
Levin
Lieu
Lofgren
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Magaziner
Maloy
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McCaul
McClellan
McClintock
McCollum
McGarvey
McGovern
Meeks
Menendez
Meng
Mfume
Miller (OH)
Molinaro
Moore (UT)
Moore (WI)
Moran
Morelle
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Mullin
Murphy
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Nickel
Norcross
Norton
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pelosi
Pence
Perez
Peters
Pettersen
Phillips
Pingree
Plaskett
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Raskin
Rogers (KY)
Ross
Rouzer
Ruiz
Ryan
Salazar
Salinas
Sanchez
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Schweikert
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Sessions
Sewell
Sherman
Simpson
Slotkin
Smith (NJ)
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Spanberger
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Suozzi
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Valadao
Vargas
Vasquez
Veasey
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Williams (NY)
Womack

ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--1

Griffith

NOT VOTING--26

Bush
Castro (TX)
Crenshaw
Crow
Diaz-Balart
Evans
Ezell
Garamendi
Gimenez
Grijalva
Higgins (LA)
Jackson (TX)
Lynch
McHenry
Moylan
Pascrell
Peltola
Radewagen
Rogers (AL)
Ruppersberger
Sablan
Sarbanes
Sherrill
Turner
Walberg
Wilson (FL)

{time} 2126

Ms. GRANGER, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mrs. BICE, Messrs. MORAN, and JAMES
changed their vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
Messrs. SMUCKER and HILL changed their vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.

Amendment No. 8 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Steube). The unfinished business is the demand
for a recorded vote on amendment No. 8, printed in part B of House
Report 118-602, offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert),
on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes
prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.

Recorded Vote

The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This will be a 2-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 134,
noes 272, answered ``present'' 1, not voting 30, as follows:

[Roll No. 382]

AYES--134

Alford
Allen
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bean (FL)
Bentz
Bergman
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brecheen
Buchanan
Burchett
Burgess
Cammack
Carl
Carter (TX)
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Collins
Comer
Crane
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Donalds
Duncan
Dunn (FL)
Emmer
Estes
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Foxx
Franklin, Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Gaetz
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hageman
Harris
Harshbarger
Hern
Hill
Houchin
Huizenga
Hunt
Jackson (TX)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (PA)
Kelly (MS)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Langworthy
Latta
Lee (FL)
Lesko
Loudermilk
Luna
Luttrell
Mace
Malliotakis
Mann
Massie
Mast
McClain
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (WV)
Mills
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Ogles
Palmer
Perry
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rodgers (WA)
Rose
Rosendale
Rouzer
Roy
Rulli
Rutherford
Self
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smucker
Stauber
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Strong
Tenney
Tiffany
Timmons
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Van Orden
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Yakym
Zinke

NOES--272

Adams
Aderholt
Aguilar
Allred
Amo
Amodei
Auchincloss
Bacon
Balint
Barragan
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bice
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bowman
Boyle (PA)
Brown
Brownley
Bucshon
Budzinski
Calvert
Caraveo
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carey
Carson
Carter (GA)
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Casar
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Chavez-DeRemer
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Ciscomani
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Cole
Connolly
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crawford
Crockett
Cuellar
Curtis
D'Esposito
Davids (KS)
Davis (IL)
Davis (NC)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Deluzio
DeSaulnier
Dingell
Doggett
Duarte
Edwards
Ellzey
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fletcher
Flood
Fong
Foster
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Frost
Gallego
Garbarino
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Garcia, Mike
Garcia, Robert
Golden (ME)
Goldman (NY)
Gomez
Gonzales, Tony
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gonzalez-Colon
Gottheimer
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green, Al (TX)
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Himes
Hinson
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Hudson
Huffman
Issa
Ivey
Jackson (IL)
Jackson (NC)
Jacobs
James
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Joyce (OH)
Kamlager-Dove
Kaptur
Kean (NJ)
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kiggans (VA)
Kildee
Kiley
Kilmer
Kim (CA)
Kim (NJ)
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
LaLota
Landsman
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
LaTurner
Lawler
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Leger Fernandez
Letlow
Levin
Lieu
Lofgren
Lopez
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Magaziner
Maloy
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McCaul
McClellan
McClintock
McCollum
McGarvey

[[Page H4845]]

McGovern
Meeks
Menendez
Meng
Mfume
Miller (OH)
Miller-Meeks
Molinaro
Moore (UT)
Moore (WI)
Moran
Morelle
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Mullin
Murphy
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Nickel
Norton
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Owens
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pelosi
Pence
Perez
Peters
Pettersen
Pfluger
Pingree
Plaskett
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Raskin
Rogers (KY)
Ross
Ruiz
Ryan
Salazar
Salinas
Sanchez
Scalise
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Schweikert
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Sessions
Sewell
Sherman
Simpson
Slotkin
Smith (NJ)
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Spanberger
Stansbury
Stanton
Steel
Stevens
Strickland
Suozzi
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Valadao
Vargas
Vasquez
Veasey
Velazquez
Wagner
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Williams (NY)
Womack

ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--1

Griffith

NOT VOTING--30

Burlison
Bush
Castro (TX)
Crenshaw
Crow
Diaz-Balart
Evans
Ezell
Garamendi
Gimenez
Grijalva
Higgins (LA)
Lynch
McCormick
McHenry
Moylan
Norcross
Pascrell
Peltola
Phillips
Radewagen
Rogers (AL)
Ruppersberger
Sablan
Sarbanes
Sherrill
Spartz
Turner
Walberg
Wilson (FL)

Announcement by the Acting Chair

The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). There is 1 minute remaining.

{time} 2130

So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.

Amendment No. 9 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on amendment No. 9, printed in part B of House Report
118-602, offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert), on
which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes
prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.

Recorded Vote

The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This is a 2-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 145,
noes 267, answered ``present'' 1, not voting 24, as follows:

[Roll No. 383]

AYES--145

Alford
Allen
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bean (FL)
Bentz
Bergman
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brecheen
Burchett
Burgess
Cammack
Carl
Carter (TX)
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Collins
Comer
Crane
Crenshaw
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Donalds
Duarte
Duncan
Dunn (FL)
Emmer
Estes
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Foxx
Franklin, Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Gaetz
Garcia, Mike
Golden (ME)
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hageman
Harris
Harshbarger
Hern
Hill
Houchin
Huizenga
Hunt
Jackson (TX)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (PA)
Kelly (MS)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Langworthy
Latta
Lee (FL)
Lesko
Letlow
Lopez
Loudermilk
Luna
Luttrell
Mace
Malliotakis
Mann
Massie
Mast
McCaul
McClain
Miller (IL)
Miller (WV)
Mills
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moran
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Ogles
Palmer
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rose
Rosendale
Roy
Rulli
Rutherford
Scalise
Self
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Strong
Tenney
Tiffany
Timmons
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Van Orden
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Westerman
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Yakym
Zinke

NOES--267

Adams
Aderholt
Aguilar
Allred
Amo
Amodei
Auchincloss
Bacon
Baird
Balint
Barragan
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bice
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bowman
Boyle (PA)
Brown
Brownley
Buchanan
Bucshon
Budzinski
Calvert
Caraveo
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carey
Carson
Carter (GA)
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Casar
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Chavez-DeRemer
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Ciscomani
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Cole
Connolly
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crawford
Crockett
Cuellar
Curtis
D'Esposito
Davids (KS)
Davis (IL)
Davis (NC)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Deluzio
DeSaulnier
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doggett
Edwards
Ellzey
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fletcher
Flood
Fong
Foster
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Frost
Gallego
Garbarino
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Garcia, Robert
Gimenez
Goldman (NY)
Gomez
Gonzales, Tony
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gonzalez-Colon
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Himes
Hinson
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Hudson
Huffman
Issa
Ivey
Jackson (IL)
Jackson (NC)
Jacobs
James
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Joyce (OH)
Kamlager-Dove
Kaptur
Kean (NJ)
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kiggans (VA)
Kildee
Kiley
Kilmer
Kim (CA)
Kim (NJ)
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
LaLota
Landsman
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawler
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Leger Fernandez
Levin
Lieu
Lofgren
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Magaziner
Maloy
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McClellan
McClintock
McCollum
McCormick
McGarvey
McGovern
Meeks
Menendez
Meng
Meuser
Mfume
Miller (OH)
Miller-Meeks
Molinaro
Moore (UT)
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Mullin
Murphy
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Nickel
Norcross
Norton
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Owens
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pelosi
Pence
Perez
Peters
Pettersen
Phillips
Pingree
Plaskett
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Raskin
Rogers (KY)
Ross
Rouzer
Ruiz
Ryan
Salazar
Salinas
Sanchez
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Schweikert
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Sessions
Sewell
Sherman
Simpson
Slotkin
Smith (NJ)
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Spanberger
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Suozzi
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Vargas
Vasquez
Veasey
Velazquez
Wagner
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Wenstrup
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Williams (NY)
Wilson (FL)
Womack

ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--1

Griffith

NOT VOTING--24

Burlison
Bush
Castro (TX)
Crow
Evans
Ezell
Garamendi
Grijalva
Higgins (LA)
LaTurner
Lynch
McHenry
Moylan
Pascrell
Peltola
Radewagen
Ruppersberger
Sablan
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Sherrill
Turner
Valadao
Walberg

Announcement by the Acting Chair

The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). There is 1 minute remaining.

{time} 2133

So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.

Amendment No. 18 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on amendment No. 18, printed in part B of House Report
118-602, offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert), on
which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes
prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.

Recorded Vote

[Roll No. 384]

AYES--208

Aderholt
Alford
Allen
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bean (FL)

[[Page H4846]]

Bentz
Bergman
Bice
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brecheen
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burchett
Burgess
Burlison
Calvert
Cammack
Carey
Carl
Carter (TX)
Ciscomani
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Collins
Comer
Crane
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
D'Esposito
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Donalds
Duarte
Duncan
Dunn (FL)
Edwards
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Flood
Fong
Foxx
Franklin, Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Gaetz
Garbarino
Garcia, Mike
Gimenez
Gonzales, Tony
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hageman
Harris
Harshbarger
Hern
Hill
Hinson
Houchin
Hudson
Huizenga
Hunt
Issa
Jackson (TX)
James
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Kean (NJ)
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kiggans (VA)
Kiley
Kim (CA)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaLota
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Langworthy
Latta
LaTurner
Lawler
Lee (FL)
Lesko
Letlow
Lopez
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Luna
Luttrell
Mace
Malliotakis
Maloy
Mann
Massie
Mast
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McCormick
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (OH)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Mills
Molinaro
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moore (UT)
Moran
Murphy
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Ogles
Owens
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose
Rosendale
Roy
Rulli
Rutherford
Salazar
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Self
Sessions
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Strong
Tenney
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Timmons
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Van Orden
Wagner
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Yakym
Zinke

NOES--211

Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Amo
Auchincloss
Bacon
Balint
Barragan
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bowman
Boyle (PA)
Brown
Brownley
Budzinski
Caraveo
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson
Carter (GA)
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Casar
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Chavez-DeRemer
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crockett
Cuellar
Davids (KS)
Davis (IL)
Davis (NC)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Deluzio
DeSaulnier
Dingell
Doggett
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fletcher
Foster
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Frost
Gallego
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Garcia, Robert
Golden (ME)
Goldman (NY)
Gomez
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gonzalez-Colon
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Himes
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Huffman
Ivey
Jackson (IL)
Jackson (NC)
Jacobs
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Kamlager-Dove
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim (NJ)
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
Landsman
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Leger Fernandez
Levin
Lieu
Lofgren
Magaziner
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McClellan
McCollum
McGarvey
McGovern
Meeks
Menendez
Meng
Mfume
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Mullin
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Nickel
Norcross
Norton
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pelosi
Peltola
Perez
Peters
Pettersen
Phillips
Pingree
Plaskett
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Raskin
Ross
Rouzer
Ruiz
Ryan
Salinas
Sanchez
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Spanberger
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Suozzi
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Vargas
Vasquez
Veasey
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Williams (NY)
Wilson (FL)

NOT VOTING--19

Bush
Castro (TX)
Crow
Evans
Ezell
Garamendi
Grijalva
Higgins (LA)
Lynch
McHenry
Moylan
Pascrell
Radewagen
Ruppersberger
Sablan
Sarbanes
Sherrill
Turner
Walberg

Announcement by the Acting Chair

The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). There is 1 minute remaining.

{time} 2138

So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Stated for:
Mr. ROUZER. Mr. Chair, on Roll Call No. 384, I mistakenly voted Noe
when I intended to vote Aye.

Amendment No. 20 Offered by Ms. Boebert

The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on amendment No. 20, printed in part B of House Report
118-602, offered by the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert), on
which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes
prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.

Recorded Vote

The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This is a 2-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 145,
noes 268, answered ``present'' 1, not voting 23, as follows:

[Roll No. 385]

AYES--145

Alford
Allen
Armstrong
Babin
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bean (FL)
Bentz
Bergman
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brecheen
Buchanan
Burchett
Burgess
Burlison
Cammack
Carl
Carter (TX)
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Collins
Comer
Crane
Crawford
Crenshaw
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Donalds
Duarte
Duncan
Dunn (FL)
Emmer
Estes
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fong
Foxx
Franklin, Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gonzales, Tony
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Harris
Harshbarger
Hern
Hill
Houchin
Huizenga
Jackson (TX)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (PA)
Kelly (MS)
Kustoff
LaHood
Langworthy
Latta
Lee (FL)
Lesko
Letlow
Lopez
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luna
Luttrell
Malliotakis
Mann
Massie
Mast
McClain
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (WV)
Mills
Molinaro
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Ogles
Owens
Palmer
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rose
Rosendale
Rouzer
Roy
Rulli
Rutherford
Scalise
Self
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smucker
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Strong
Tenney
Tiffany
Timmons
Van Drew
Van Orden
Wagner
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Westerman
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Yakym
Zinke

NOES--268

Adams
Aderholt
Aguilar
Allred
Amo
Amodei
Auchincloss
Bacon
Balint
Barragan
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bice
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bowman
Boyle (PA)
Brown
Brownley
Bucshon
Budzinski
Calvert
Caraveo
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carey
Carson
Carter (GA)
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Casar
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Chavez-DeRemer
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Ciscomani
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Cole
Connolly
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crockett
Cuellar
Curtis
D'Esposito
Davids (KS)
Davis (IL)
Davis (NC)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Deluzio
DeSaulnier
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doggett
Edwards
Ellzey
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fletcher
Flood
Foster
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Frost
Gallego
Garbarino
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Garcia, Mike
Garcia, Robert
Gimenez
Golden (ME)
Goldman (NY)
Gomez
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gonzalez-Colon
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Himes
Hinson
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Hudson
Huffman
Hunt
Issa
Ivey
Jackson (IL)
Jackson (NC)
Jacobs
James
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Joyce (OH)
Kamlager-Dove
Kaptur
Kean (NJ)
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kiggans (VA)
Kildee
Kiley
Kilmer
Kim (CA)
Kim (NJ)
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
LaLota

[[Page H4847]]

LaMalfa
Lamborn
Landsman
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
LaTurner
Lawler
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Leger Fernandez
Levin
Lieu
Lofgren
Luetkemeyer
Mace
Magaziner
Maloy
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McCaul
McClellan
McClintock
McCollum
McCormick
McGarvey
McGovern
Meeks
Menendez
Meng
Mfume
Miller (OH)
Miller-Meeks
Moore (UT)
Moore (WI)
Moran
Morelle
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Mullin
Murphy
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Nickel
Norcross
Norton
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pelosi
Peltola
Pence
Perez
Peters
Pettersen
Phillips
Pingree
Plaskett
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Raskin
Rogers (KY)
Ross
Ruiz
Ryan
Salazar
Salinas
Sanchez
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Schweikert
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Sessions
Sewell
Sherman
Simpson
Slotkin
Smith (NJ)
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Spanberger
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Suozzi
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Valadao
Vargas
Vasquez
Veasey
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Wenstrup
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Williams (NY)
Wilson (FL)
Womack

ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--1

Griffith

NOT VOTING--23

Arrington
Bush
Castro (TX)
Crow
Evans
Ezell
Garamendi
Grijalva
Hageman
Higgins (LA)
Lynch
McHenry
Moylan
Pascrell
Radewagen
Ruppersberger
Sablan
Sarbanes
Sherrill
Spartz
Turner
Van Duyne
Walberg

Announcement by the Acting Chair

The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). There is 1 minute remaining.

{time} 2142

So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.

Amendment No. 23 Offered by Mr. Brecheen

The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on amendment No. 23, printed in part B of House Report
118-602, offered by the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen), on
which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes
prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.

Recorded Vote

[Roll No. 386]

AYES--147

Alford
Allen
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bean (FL)
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brecheen
Burchett
Burgess
Burlison
Calvert
Cammack
Carl
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Collins
Comer
Crane
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Donalds
Duarte
Duncan
Dunn (FL)
Emmer
Estes
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Foxx
Franklin, Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Gaetz
Golden (ME)
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hageman
Harris
Harshbarger
Hern
Hudson
Huizenga
Hunt
Jackson (TX)
Jordan
Joyce (PA)
Kelly (PA)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Langworthy
Latta
Lee (FL)
Lesko
Lopez
Loudermilk
Luna
Luttrell
Mace
Maloy
Massie
Mast
McClain
McClintock
McCormick
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Mills
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moran
Murphy
Nehls
Norman
Ogles
Owens
Palmer
Perez
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rodgers (WA)
Rose
Rosendale
Rouzer
Roy
Rulli
Rutherford
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Self
Sessions
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smucker
Stauber
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Strong
Tenney
Tiffany
Timmons
Van Duyne
Van Orden
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Westerman
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Yakym
Zinke

NOES--269

Adams
Aderholt
Aguilar
Allred
Amo
Amodei
Auchincloss
Bacon
Balint
Barragan
Beatty
Bentz
Bera
Bergman
Beyer
Bice
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bowman
Boyle (PA)
Brown
Brownley
Buchanan
Bucshon
Budzinski
Caraveo
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carey
Carson
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Casar
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Chavez-DeRemer
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Ciscomani
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Cole
Connolly
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crockett
Cuellar
D'Esposito
Davids (KS)
Davis (IL)
Davis (NC)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Deluzio
DeSaulnier
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doggett
Edwards
Ellzey
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fletcher
Flood
Fong
Foster
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Frost
Gallego
Garbarino
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Garcia, Mike
Garcia, Robert
Gimenez
Goldman (NY)
Gomez
Gonzales, Tony
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gonzalez-Colon
Gottheimer
Granger
Green, Al (TX)
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Hill
Himes
Hinson
Horsford
Houchin
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Huffman
Issa
Ivey
Jackson (IL)
Jackson (NC)
Jacobs
James
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (SD)
Joyce (OH)
Kamlager-Dove
Kaptur
Kean (NJ)
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (MS)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kiggans (VA)
Kildee
Kiley
Kilmer
Kim (CA)
Kim (NJ)
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
LaLota
Landsman
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
LaTurner
Lawler
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Leger Fernandez
Letlow
Levin
Lieu
Lofgren
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Magaziner
Malliotakis
Mann
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McCaul
McClellan
McCollum
McGarvey
McGovern
Meeks
Menendez
Meng
Mfume
Miller (OH)
Molinaro
Moolenaar
Moore (UT)
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Mullin
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Newhouse
Nickel
Norcross
Norton
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pelosi
Peltola
Pence
Peters
Pettersen
Phillips
Pingree
Plaskett
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Raskin
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Ross
Ruiz
Ryan
Salazar
Salinas
Sanchez
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Simpson
Slotkin
Smith (NJ)
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Spanberger
Stansbury
Stanton
Steel
Stevens
Strickland
Suozzi
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Valadao
Van Drew
Vargas
Vasquez
Veasey
Velazquez
Wagner
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Wenstrup
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Williams (NY)
Wilson (FL)
Womack

NOT VOTING--21

Bush
Castro (TX)
Crow
Evans
Ezell
Garamendi
Grijalva
Higgins (LA)
Lynch
McHenry
Moylan
Pascrell
Radewagen
Ruppersberger
Sablan
Sarbanes
Sherrill
Spartz
Turner
Walberg
Waltz

{time} 2146

Ms. GRANGER changed her vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.

PERSONAL EXPLANATION

Ms. BUSH. Mr. Chair, I was not present during today's first, second,
or third vote series. Had I been present, I would have voted:
NAY on Roll Call No. 359,
NAY on Roll Call No. 360,
YEA on Roll Call No. 361,
YEA on Roll Call No. 362,
NAY on Roll Call No. 363,
NAY on Roll Call No. 364,
NAY on Roll Call No. 365,
NAY on Roll Call No. 366,
NAY on Roll Call No. 367,
NAY on Roll Call No. 368,
NAY on Roll Call No. 369,
NAY on Roll Call No. 370,
NAY on Roll Call No. 371,
NAY on Roll Call No. 372,
NAY on Roll Call No. 373,
NAY on Roll Call No. 374,
NAY on Roll Call No. 375,
NAY on Roll Call No. 376,
NAY on Roll Call No. 377,
NAY on Roll Call No. 378,
NAY on Roll Call No. 379,
NAY on Roll Call No. 380,
NAY on Roll Call No. 381,
NAY on Roll Call No. 382,

[[Page H4848]]

NAY on Roll Call No. 383,
NAY on Roll Call No. 384,
NAY on Roll Call No. 385, and
NAY on Roll Call No. 386.

Amendment No. 24 Offered by Mr. Brecheen

The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Lopez). It is now in order to consider
amendment No. 24 printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 153, line 7, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $12,000,000)''.
Page 226, line 4, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $12,000,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chairman, this amendment defunds the self-reported
nonpartisan Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. I
purposely am using the air quotes for ``nonpartisan'' given what I am
about to relay.
This think tank publishes articles and hosts events centered around
foreign policy to advise policymakers on how to best tackle global
issues. However, the Wilson Center is not nonpartisan. It is a far-left
organization dedicated, much like President Wilson, to far-left values
around the world.
What do I mean by that? In January 2019, the center hosted an event
where they promoted ``safe abortion'' access around the world, claiming
that denying abortion is violence.
In June 2021, at an event with White House Press Secretary Jean-
Pierre, the center called for, again, ``those in power . . . to
understand and advocate for the queer liberation necessary to achieve
equity for all genders and sexual orientations.''

{time} 2200

They publish articles like this from June 2024 that suggest Europe
should accept unfettered mass immigration, claiming that blocking
illegal immigration is ``far right.'' They say it is ``far right'' and
``perpetuating harmful stereotypes that are deeply ingrained in
European consciousness, fostering fear and hostility.''
Apparently, the Wilson Center considers it to be, again, ``far
right,'' their words, to believe in borders and not want your country
filled with an infinite number of illegal aliens. The center advances
radical ideas like its Maternal Health Initiative, which is dedicated
to ensuring countries around the world have access to legal abortion.
This radical group receives $12 million in appropriations from the
bill we are debating. Congress must not give to those who are using
their nonpartisan purposes for very blatant partisan ends.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for
scholars is the official memorial to President Wilson and a nonpartisan
forum for tackling global issues through independent research and open
dialogue.
In a divisive world, we need more opportunities to listen to and have
dialogue with others who may not share our point of view. The Wilson
Center is a great resource for policymakers as they confront today's
challenges.
I am disappointed my colleague would want to eliminate funding for
this important institution.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, I will end by saying that this is a center
that is utilizing taxpayer funds to push an agenda in a very partisan
manner. It is very much in opposition to many of the things that many
of us believe, and the power of the purse must speak.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Oklahoma
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 25 Offered by Mr. Brecheen

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 25
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for any diversity, equity, and inclusion program or
office.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, diversity, equity, and inclusion is
antimerit. It is designed to exclude people from opportunities they
might otherwise receive through merit, but it is replaced by, through
DEI, melanin percentage or sexual preference.
America promises equality of opportunity and fair treatment, but we
have to ask ourselves: Are we betraying our values by encouraging
discrimination against people who have a fairer complexion at the same
time?
This amendment adds a commonsense DEI prohibition like others that we
have seen in appropriation bills that we have advanced. Each of the
departments and agencies we are funding, we see the DEI initiative and
the involvement.
For instance, the Department of the Interior has a DEI office and DEI
officers who train their staff on how to be racist toward White people.
The National Endowment for the Arts has an equity officer, Nicole
Phillips, whose job is dedicated to advancing racism. This shouldn't
be.
Congress has the power of the purse under Article I, Section 9,
Clause 7. We need to exercise it and stop blatant racism.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, one of our greatest strengths as a Nation is
our diversity.
The American experience is not a singular experience, and diversity
programs exist to recognize this. The fact is, and many business
leaders agree, that having a diverse and inclusive culture in the
workplace is critical to performance.
Attempting to defund or block the implementation of these efforts
only takes us back in time where our Nation's diversity was not seen as
an asset.
Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, encourage my colleagues to do the
same, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Oklahoma
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 30 Offered by Mrs. Cammack

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 30
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

[[Page H4849]]

At the end of the bill (before the spending reduction
account), insert the following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used to implement, administer,
or enforce any major rule under subparagraph (A) of section
804(2) of title 5, United States Code.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman
from Florida (Mrs. Cammack) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment,
which would restrict taxpayer funds from being used to finalize any
rule or regulation that has resulted in an annual effect on the economy
of $100 million or more at the Department of the Interior, Environment,
and Related Agencies.
Under the Biden-Harris regime, the regulatory landscape has never
been worse. Regulatory agencies within the Department of the Interior
have exerted an extraordinary amount of power with very limited
oversight.
My amendment seeks to change this dynamic by requiring that any major
rule or regulation proposed by these agencies must be approved by
Congress before it can take effect.
This means that the elected Representatives of the American people
would have a direct say in the regulations that govern our natural
resources and public lands. It means that the individuals who are
closest to their constituents, who understand the needs and concerns of
their communities, will be at the forefront of decisionmaking.
I, of course, believe that commonsense Americans would be incensed to
know that in 2023 alone, the Biden-Harris regime ended the year by
adding nearly 91,000 pages to the Federal Register of regulations.
Why should Americans care about that? Because those 91,000 pages of
regulations just cost every American family over $15,000 annually.
That is right. American families now pay $15,000 more every single
year for the exact same goods and services thanks to these onerous
regulations, but it gets worse. Who do these hardworking families turn
to to fight these new costs, these new rules, these new regulations
that are dictating every aspect of our lives? Not their elected
officials, no.
These expensive and expansive rules and regulations housed in those
91,000 pages, those are the doing of the nameless, faceless bureaucrats
that dwell in basements all over Washington, D.C., who, by the way, are
not elected. Quite frankly, Mr. Chair, that should piss off every
single American.

{time} 2210

It is a slap in the face that we the people have no recourse, which
is why my amendment reining in these rules and regulations is so very
important.
You can and should be able to fire your elected officials. In the
case of these all too powerful bureaucrats, you can't even find them,
let alone stop them. This is where our amendment, the REINS Act, comes
in and is so important.
Under the Biden-Harris regime, regulations cost more than the entire
Federal discretionary budget. Let me repeat that. Under the Biden-
Harris regime, they have added more in regulatory costs that add up to
more than the entire Federal discretionary budget.
As a point of reference, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which
funded government, came in at a price tag of $1.7 trillion. The Biden-
Harris regime's price tag on their regulations was over $2 trillion
with a t.
It is not just the cost that is insane. It is the unachievable nature
of these regulations. Take, for instance, the proposed greenhouse gas
emission standards. There are no vehicles that exist today that can do
the job and make the grade on the standard.
Your leaf blower and lawnmower at home, under the Biden-Harris
regime, need to be zero emission. Good luck buying that in Biden's
economy.
Permitting requirements for livestock emissions are unachievable
because of, well, science. Shocking, I know. What sounded good on paper
is quite literally unfeasible in real life.
Government is supposed to serve the people, not make their life
harder, and quite frankly, that is all these regulations are doing,
making life harder and more expensive.
Mr. Speaker, there has never been a better time to rein in spending.
We need to rein in these frivolous rules and regulations and rein in
the true swamp creatures called bureaucrats.
If you believe in the principle that significant regulatory decisions
should not be made behind closed doors but rather in the open Halls of
Congress where the voices of the American people can be heard, you will
support this amendment.
If you believe that the American people should be at the center of
the decision-making process, you will support this amendment.
If you believe in government transparency and accountability, you
will support this amendment.
It is time that this body starts asserting its constitutional Article
I authority and adopt this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Chair, it is laid out pretty simply. If we are to
really restore the people's voice in this Chamber, we have to adopt
this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in putting the American
people first, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 40 Offered by Mr. Griffith

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 40
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the spending reduction
account), insert the following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act for
payments to States and federally recognized Indian Tribes for
reclamation of abandoned mine lands and other related
activities under the heading ``Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement--Abandoned Mine Reclamation
Fund'' may be used to implement, administer, or enforce
section 200.311 of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Virginia (Mr. Griffith) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Chairman, the Abandoned Mine Land Economic
Revitalization Program was created by Hal Rogers a few years ago. It
has already borne promising fruit, delivering environmental cleanup and
much-needed economic development to some of the poorest parts of our
country, the Appalachian coalfields.
In one AMLER Program in my district, we used it to take down
highwalls at an old mine, and the area was redeveloped into an
industrial site.
Likewise, in another place, a public-private partnership--and keep in
mind, that means there is a lot of private money. Sometimes counties
put money in. It is not just AMLER money, but AMLER money is a big
help.
In that case, the public-private partnership came in and cleaned up
an old coal fines pond. It saved the Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement one-third of the estimated cleanup costs,
and it was done decades earlier than expected.
However, the specter of OSMRE imposing a perpetual Federal interest
in every AMLER project is hurting what I believe is a great program.
A letter from the region sums it up best. ``Dear Senator Warner: The
purpose of this correspondence is to solicit your support and
assistance in challenges associated with the Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement.''
This is from the Lonesome Pine Regional Industrial Facilities
Authority. It is a regional economic development authority established
in 2019 whose membership is composed of the Counties of Dickenson, Lee,
Scott, and Wise, and the city of Norton, which are in far southwest
Virginia.

[[Page H4850]]

``The authority member localities work collaboratively as a region to
create employment opportunities for its citizens, and its mission is
straightforward: `to cooperatively develop and enhance regional
economic opportunities for member localities.' The relevant issue
revolves around the terms required to be placed in deeds for real
estate acquired and improved through program funds. Current required
language mandates that portions of the Code of Federal Regulations . .
. applies to all projects. In short, 2 CFR, part 200, provides for what
is defined as a `Federal interest' in any real estate, equipment, or
personal property in which AMLER funds are expended. This Federal
interest would be memorialized in any real estate by a recorded
instrument in respective county circuit court offices.
``The existence of a `Federal interest' results in OSMRE having to
approve any conveyances or transfers of interest concerning real estate
in which AMLER funds are expended. OSMRE could further seek recoupment
of all AMLER funds invested in the property being considered for
transfer. No time limit is given for this `Federal interest,' and as of
the date of this letter,'' which was May of this year, ``the Federal
interest would be perpetual in nature. As you can imagine, these
regulations will severely impact the region's ability to use property
as an incentive for economic development prospects. It is uncertain
under these regulations if OSMRE would consider approving any
conveyance for real estate to a private developer. In addition,
localities would be prohibited to pledge any real estate with a
`Federal interest' as collateral'' to try to make the development work.
``The review and consideration of these issues also contribute to a
much-extended time period within the approval process. In the arena of
economic development, time is one of the most important factors in
making deals and attracting prospects to'' this Appalachian region.
``The accumulative impacts of these regulations are causing
localities to deter from pursuing AMLER program funds as a source for
economic development'' in the region.
Now, that was the whole point of the program, to take abandoned mine
land areas, improve the mine area, and make it available for new
economic development in one of the poorest regions of the country, Mr.
Chairman.
This amendment is needed, at least for this year. I may have to put
in a bill later to make it permanent or long term, but at least for
this year, make it clear that if a county or a local government puts
money into a project, they don't have to worry about the Federal
Government having what is, in essence, a revisionary clause that if it
is ever used for some purposes they don't agree to, somewhere down in
the future, the property comes back to the Federal Government.
We can't use this program the way it was intended if we don't solve
this problem. My amendment solves this problem in the short term. We
can work to get additional language to make it better in the future,
but right now, we need to do this.
Mr. Chair, I urge everyone to vote in favor of it, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith).
The amendment was agreed to.

{time} 2220

Amendment No. 41 Offered by Ms. Hageman

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 41
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the spending reduction
account), insert the following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
draft programmatic environmental impact statement referred to
in the notice of availability titled ``Notice of Availability
of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for
Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development and Notice of Public
Meetings'' (89 Fed. Reg. 3687 (January 19, 2024)).

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman
from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wyoming.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment No. 41
to H.R. 8998, which prevents the Bureau of Land Management from
finalizing, implementing, administering, or enforcing its Western Solar
Plan.
On January 19, 2024, the BLM published a notice of availability for
the newly introduced Programmatic Environmental Impact Assessment and
corresponding Research Management Plan Amendment. This plan amendment
will have serious implications regarding current uses of public lands
throughout the West and particularly in my home State of Wyoming.
The plan amendment would implement sweeping changes to resource
management plans, or RMPs, in 11 States on 162 million acres and
affecting hundreds of counties in the West. In Wyoming alone, it will
impact 18 million acres of land.
I have heard from many county officials in Wyoming that this plan
amendment simply glosses over the analysis that would otherwise be
given in a planning document developed at a local level. This planning
amendment is detached from the priorities held by most Western
communities when it comes to economic development on their public
lands.
I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of my amendment, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, we are here to protect the welfare of the
American public, and we cannot close our eyes to the impacts of climate
change, such as the drought, flooding, severe storm, and wildfire
events we are experiencing.
Climate change has reached a crisis point, and we must take bold
action to avoid a major irreversible catastrophe. We must invest in
renewable energy if we are to tackle this problem.
This shortsighted amendment does not prepare this Nation to address
climate change by prohibiting funds for updating a roadmap for solar
energy development across the West that is designed to expand solar
energy production and make renewable energy siting and permitting on
America's public lands more efficient.
I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, I want to push back against the false
narrative that solar energy is actually clean energy or would protect
our environment. This has actually become a political battle for
government subsidies. Many power companies are being subsidized tens of
millions of dollars for so-called clean energy, and the American people
are paying the price for it.
Just across the State line in Nebraska in July of 2023, the panels of
a solar farm in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, were destroyed in a hailstorm,
only to be taken to a landfill because they are not recyclable.
Even when solar panels aren't destroyed by hailstorms or other
extreme weather events, they gradually stop producing electricity and
reach the end of their lives in less than 20 years.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, over 78
million tons of solar panels will come to the point and will be filling
a landfill near you. Aren't we all glad about that? Only about 10
percent of solar panels are recyclable, and those that are recyclable,
only a small part of a single solar panel contains recoverable
minerals.
There are many other examples of solar panel catastrophes related to
extreme weather events, including filling rivers with shards of panels
and other events that hurt wildlife and fisheries, but above all these
concerns are the fact that they replace affordable and reliable energy
sources with expensively subsidized, nonreliable power that results in
power companies looking to the spot market to mitigate for what they
cannot produce when the

[[Page H4851]]

Sun doesn't shine, or the wind doesn't blow.
This Western Solar Plan is forcing energy poverty on our communities.
It is taking our productive economic activities away and replacing them
with nonreliable and unaffordable energy. It is impacting jobs in
Wyoming and starving our communities of the essential services that are
funded by our more productive industries.
I don't believe in energy poverty, and for that reason I urge my
colleagues to vote for this amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance
of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, one of the things about this plan is that it
includes an irrelevant socioeconomic analysis that neglects to consider
the most important activities impacted by this proposal. It reviews
without explanation the population, employment, income, State sales and
income tax revenues, housing, and State and local government
expenditures, but fails to address a very significant and important
variable, which is the fact that the largest contributor to the funding
of local governments in the State is through our energy producers.
The BLM socioeconomic analysis doesn't include anything related to
the loss of revenue generated by our most important revenue-generating
industries in the State, and that is very telling. This plan should not
go forward, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of my amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine has the right to close.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Quite ironically, this plan amendment directly impacts mining of
trona, which is developed into soda ash, which is a critical component
in many industrial and consumer products, including flat glass and
solar energy infrastructure.

The Known Sodium Leasing Area located within the Green River Basin
encompasses 1,100 square miles within the BLM's Rock Springs and
Kemmerer field offices. Searching where the U.S. produces most of its
trona, it is ironically right where the Biden-Harris administration is
trying to force these solar panels. The Biden-Harris administration has
failed at every energy policy level since day one. The Western Solar
Plan is just one more example of such failure.
Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, this is my experience: Climate change
deniers, the people who want to just support the fossil-fuel industry,
continually use misinformation, disinformation, social media memes, all
kinds of things to argue their point, but the ultimate challenge here
is we have an overdependence on fossil fuels.
The use of fossil fuels is contributing to too much CO2 in
the atmosphere, which has created this extreme weather that we now have
to live through and experience, whether it is the heat, flooding,
extreme storms, whatever it is.
If we care about the future of our planet, if we truly believe that
it is our job as elected officials to protect the American public, we
can't close our eyes to these impacts of climate change, so arguing
about where things are manufactured or how they are disposed is a way
of avoiding the fact that we have to move into renewable energy, and
that is our challenge today.
Of course, we don't want to use things that are strictly manufactured
in China. That is why we passed the IRA, to put more domestic
investment in things like solar panels and batteries and the things
that we desperately need.
As to this question about end-of-life solar panels, I wholeheartedly
agree, we should recycle as much as we possibly can of everything that
we are using in this country. Let me just read this little fact about
that: ``Waste from end-of-life solar panels presents opportunities to
recover valuable materials and create jobs through recycling. According
to the International Renewable Energy Agency, by 2030 the cumulative
value of recoverable raw materials from end-of-life panels globally
will be about $450 million, which is equivalent to the cost of raw
materials currently needed to produce about 60 million new panels.
Diverting solar panels from landfills to recycling saves space in
landfills in addition to capturing the value of raw materials.''
I am all in favor of recycling them. That is absolutely something
that we can accomplish, and those are the facts, not a social media
misinformation/disinformation meme, whatever it is.
Mr. Chair, I wholeheartedly urge my colleagues to join me in opposing
this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).
The amendment was agreed to.

{time} 2230

Amendment No. 42 Offered by Ms. Hageman

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 42
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the spending reduction
account), insert the following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
draft resource management plan referred to in the notice of
availability titled ``Notice of Availability of the Draft
Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement
for the Rock Springs RMP Revision, Wyoming'' (88 Fed. Reg.
56654 (August 18, 2023)).

[[Page H4852]]

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, this amendment is one more controversial
poison pill policy rider that sadly shows that extremist Republicans
are not interested in bills that can gain bipartisan support and become
law.
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the BLM drafted the
proposed draft resource management plan and environmental impact
statement for Rock Springs and provided a 90-day comment period.
This amendment prohibits the BLM from finalizing, implementing,
administering, or enforcing an updated, comprehensive, and
environmentally adequate framework for managing uses of public lands
and resources.
We are here to protect the welfare of the American public and
preserve our public lands and resources for future generations. The
land considered for protection has low prospects for oil and gas yields
and includes natural treasures such as petroglyphs, North America's
largest sand dunes, and migration corridors for bighorn sheep, mule
deer, and elk.
Once again, my Republican colleagues are disregarding the law and
trying to circumvent the rigorous process that is in place to update
resource management plans. This amendment also nullifies the public
comments that have been collected by legislating the outcome.
We cannot close our eyes to the impacts of climate change that we are
experiencing as our economy, health, livelihoods, food security, and
quality of life all depend on healthy ecosystems.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment and focus
instead on addressing climate change and being good stewards of our
public lands and resources for the benefit of future generations.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, this amendment is not just about mining or
energy and mineral extraction. This RMP is one of the largest land
grabs we have ever seen, and it impacts everything from grazing to
recreation.
Grazing will be severely impacted by the preferred alternative of
this RMP, including through a ban on livestock grazing and big game
parturition habitat during the birthing season; prohibiting range
improvement projects, such as troughs, reservoirs, and fences; and
suspending AUMs currently authorized within the planning area. Perhaps
what is most disheartening about this RMP is the fact that the BLM
chose to move forward with the least studied plan out of all
alternatives.
In fact, Sweetwater County's public lands director verified in a
hearing a few months ago that the BLM spent about 1 week out of 11
years on the preferred alternative. What is now its preferred
alternative is clearly in violation of FLPMA and the obligation to take
a hard look at the alternative chosen.
A former BLM employee who worked on this RMP testified in front of
State legislators in Wyoming that the preferred alternative was created
as a bookend alternative and mentioned that they spent 1 week on
alternative B and then the next 6 years on alternative D. It was also
said to a reporter that this plan takes the public off of the public
lands.
The alternative laid out in this plan, particularly alternative B,
will destroy Wyoming's local economy and dramatically decrease the
development of energy resources needed to power this country, undermine
our national security, and destroy our local livestock industry.
We cannot go on like this. I urge my colleagues to support my
amendment, which would nullify the implementation of this monstrosity
of a plan.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 43 Offered by Ms. Hageman

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 43
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title) insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for establishing or operating an Office of
Agriculture and Rural Affairs in the Environmental Protection
Agency.

{time} 2240

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, this amendment would block the EPA from
operating its Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The EPA
established this office to be the primary liaison between rural and
agricultural stakeholders and the agency. It works to find practical
science-based solutions that protect the environment while ensuring a
vibrant and productive agricultural system. Taking away this important
resource would put our farmers at a disadvantage. We should be working
to increase the coordination in the agriculture community, not stifling
it.
Mr. Chair, I oppose the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, the EPA has advertised the creation of this
office as an opportunity to better hear and understand the concerns of
rural communities. Its website, however, reveals its true purpose,
which is to ``advance the U.S. agriculture sector's climate mitigation
and adaptation goals.'' The EPA even touts Mr. Snyder as a longtime
champion of agricultural solutions to climate change.
Our Nation's food producers are increasingly targeted by the Federal
agencies for climate disclosure and mitigation action, likely spurred
by a

[[Page H4853]]

political agenda developed outside of government. Clearly, this office
is being created to further a political agenda rather than to address
the issues that are most important to our rural communities.
The Biden-Harris administration has directly said we have to reduce
emissions from the food system. That has been their goal, and Director
Snyder, whom they have appointed to head this new office, will
dutifully carry out their efforts to decrease our food supply.
Again, this agency is not needed, and I urge my colleagues to vote in
favor of this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, an administration that cares about prosperity
and abundance should be more concerned about the availability of food
and what everyday Americans pay out of their pockets at the grocery
store.
Instead, the Biden-Harris administration expresses concern over
animal- and food-related emissions and proposes goals and regulations
to address this.
I have already highlighted some of the ways that the EPA has gone
after rural communities. This office will not be the eyes and ears for
our rural communities. Instead, it will continue to support climate-
related policies that hurt our farmers and ranchers.
The Biden-Harris administration has a history of adopting rules and
policies suggested by international NGOs. The Federal Government,
unfortunately, has a tendency to follow the poor examples of other
countries by adopting terrible policies after they do, especially if it
is related to this nonsense surrounding so-called climate change.
We don't need this office within the EPA. We already have to deal
with the USDA.
Mr. Chair, I urge support of my amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I just want to wholeheartedly disagree with
my colleague on the other side of the aisle and the premise of this
amendment.
I serve on the Agriculture Committee. I have been a farmer much of my
life. I represent a tremendous number of farmers, and I come from an
agricultural State.
I don't see what benefit it would be to farmers to put them at this
level of disadvantage to take away this office that was there to
support communication between the EPA and farmers.
I will admit it is not always an easy relationship between farmers
and the EPA. Sometimes there are challenges that go on there, certainly
with waters of the U.S., which we have debated at length in the
Agriculture Committee. I know it is really important for farmers to be
heard so that when regulations are made, they serve both our
environment and the farmers. You can actually do both.
When I hear people dismissing climate change or calling them
ridiculous policies that are enacted by this administration, I think
they don't really understand the challenges that farmers are facing
today. Farmers are the first ones impacted by the adverse weather we
have, whether it is extreme drought or extreme cold.
In my State of Maine, we have had unusual temperatures, cold weather
late into the spring that has frozen the blossoms on our fruit trees or
drought in the middle of the summer when it wasn't expected, rainy
summers where we can't manage all of the water or flooding that impacts
our farmers. These things are happening all over our country.
Climate change policies, those things that will mitigate climate
change, where farmers can be our partners, which they often are in many
of the policies that are implemented through this administration,
things that help to sequester more carbon or help farmers to deal with
many of the issues that they are challenged by, are critically
important to them to make sure that we continue to have farmers during
this difficult time.
Also, there are some issues that farmers in my State are dealing
with, particularly related to PFAS, this forever chemical that has
turned up in the soils of many farms in our States. That is regulated
by the EPA. Many of the decisions that have to be made about what is
allowable in a vegetable or in our milk or how to remove it from the
water or the soil, those are things that go on at the EPA.
To not have this liaison with farmers, many of whom are losing their
farms in States like mine and States all over the country because they
are contaminated with PFAS from previous flood spreading, not having
that liaison so farmers can engage on what the EPA is going to advise
and how to work with it, is frankly just a ridiculous idea.
This is a ridiculous amendment. It doesn't speak to the needs of
farmers. It is a messaging amendment, once again, to be anti-climate
change, antigovernment, and anti-EPA. My colleagues should oppose it.
It has no business being before us here today.
Mr. Chair, I recommend people oppose this, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 44 Offered by Ms. Hageman

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 44
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the spending reduction
account), insert the following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
following:
(1) The proposed resource management plan amendment and
final supplemental environmental impact statement referred to
in the notice of availability titled ``Notice of Availability
of the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Buffalo
Field Office, Wyoming'' (89 Fed. Reg. 43431 (May 17, 2024)).
(2) The proposed resource management plan amendment and
final supplemental environmental impact statement referred to
in the notice of availability titled ``Notice of Availability
of the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Miles
City Field Office, Montana'' (89 Fed. Reg. 43432 (May 17,
2024)).

[[Page H4854]]

over $184 million, with $229.7 million being paid to the Federal
Government.
When I asked the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
in committee a couple months ago if they had any plans to mitigate for
this lost revenue and jobs because of the BLM's decision to move
forward with this rule, they had no answer. Despite what Democrats have
to say about helping coal communities, they have no plan to mitigate
for their reckless damage to these communities and have no legitimate
effective or feasible way to replace this valuable energy resource.
Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.

{time} 2250

Ms. PINGREE. I claim time in opposition, Mr. Chairman.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Ms. HAGEMAN. These proposed resource management plans are part of the
Biden-Harris administration's national strategy to terminate domestic
production of traditional energy resources, and it is just another
example of their war on American energy.
Conveniently, shortly after the plan was announced, The Washington
Post, a national paper covering this decision, stated that the U.S.
taking this step is the biggest step yet to end coal mining. Supporting
this amendment means supporting Wyoming jobs and ensuring that America
meet its power requirements for years to come.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 45 Offered by Mrs. Harshbarger

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 45
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the spending reduction
account), insert the following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for the Board on Geographic Names.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman
from Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger) and a Member opposed each will
control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Tennessee.
Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Mr. Chairman, my colleagues on the other side of
the aisle have been hard at work removing statues and renaming military
bases because they believe they can and should erase history.
The Board on Geographic Names was initially designed to be a part of
the United States Geological Survey to ensure uniform naming on maps.
However, when Secretary Haaland took over as Secretary of the
Interior, she immediately repurposed the Board on Geographic Names to
the Interior Department's woke renaming board. One of the Secretary's
top priorities was to deem the word ``squaw'' derogatory and remove any
word with ``squaw'' in it from any geographic landmark or
unincorporated town. She pursued this policy using the Board on
Geographic Names.
This affected my district because the board changed the name of
unincorporated ``Squawberry'' to ``Partridgeberry'' despite the
opposition of local leaders.
This is complete government overreach, and it is unacceptable to
allow the Federal Government to force their ideals down the throats of
east Tennesseans.
This is not what the Federal Government is supposed to be tasked
with, and I question how long it will be until Secretary Haaland
decides to turn her attention to every geographic landmark named for
Columbus or Washington or Jefferson.
I do not trust this administration to discontinue using the Board on
Geographic Names to push their agenda onto Americans, and for this
reason, I believe that we need to prohibit funding for the Board on
Geographic Names.
Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to support the passage of this
important amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, this amendment is one more controversial
poison pill policy rider that sadly shows extremist Republicans are not
interested in bills that can gain bipartisan support and become law.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is a Federal body created in 1890
and established in its present form by Public Law in 1947 to maintain
uniform geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government.
The board is comprised of representatives of Federal agencies
concerned with geographic information, population, ecology, and
management of public lands.
In this age of geographic information systems, the internet, and
homeland defense, geographic names data are even more important.
The board works in partnership with Federal, State, Tribal, and local
agencies and more than 50 nations have some type of national names
authority.
My Republican colleagues should be more focused on creating bills
that will garner bipartisan support and become law, not prohibiting
funding for a board that helps surveyor, mapmakers, and scientists, and
serves the Federal Government and the public as a central authority to
which name problems, name inquiries, name changes, and new name
proposals can be directed.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Mr. Chair, this is really, really a simple concept.
If you don't think the Federal Government should be changing the names
of localities, especially with the opposition of locales, then support
my amendment. This is Federal overreach plain and simple.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Tennessee
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 46 Offered by Mr. Huizenga

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 46
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce the final rule
titled ``Determinations of Attainment by the Attainment Date,
Extensions of the Attainment Date, and Reclassification of
Areas Classified as Marginal for the 2015 Ozone National
Ambient Air Quality Standards'' published by the
Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register on
October 7, 2022 (87 Fed. Reg. 60897) with respect to--
(1) Allegan County, Michigan;
(2) Berrien County, Michigan; or
(3) Muskegon County, Michigan.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my bipartisan
amendment to prohibit implementation of the EPA rule that
inappropriately reclassified three west Michigan counties, Berrien
County, parts of Allegan County, and parts of Muskegon County, from
``marginal'' to ``moderate'' under the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air
Quality Standards.

[[Page H4855]]

However, it is a long-established fact that transport pollution from
upwind States is a primary driver of the reduced air quality in west
Michigan.
In fact, Mr. Chairman, I was a young staffer in 1997 when I became
the district director for my predecessor when I was first introduced to
this concept. We will get into some of those same issues that we are
seeing today.
Even the State of Michigan officially acknowledges this fact: Ozone
transport is the major driver of why these counties in Michigan get
penalized by the EPA's standards.
While the EPA's rule explicitly does not consider ozone transport,
science will tell you that ozone pollutants are being carried to us on
winds across Lake Michigan from cities like Gary, Indiana; Chicago,
Illinois; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The new ``moderate'' classification carries with it the so-called
reasonably available control technology requirements as well as other
burdensome regulatory requirements, offset ratios, and emissions
reductions meant to bring the Michigan counties back into attainment of
the air standards, not the counties that are actually doing the
polluting.
This will cost businesses in my district millions and millions of
dollars, despite their many efforts over the years to do the right
thing for the environment. It will cost jobs for our residents who have
nothing to do with this, they haven't produced it, but it is going to
cost the tax base of our local governments who love and work to protect
our Great Lakes.
My Michigan colleagues and I have worked oftentimes in a bipartisan
way to rectify this issue, whether it be with the EPA or with the State
of Michigan. In short, we are told that their hands are tied.
Well, that is what the legislative branch is for, and we are using
our legislative authority, the power of the purse, to protect our
constituents from the unfair government burden that does not account
for the full reality and science of the situation.
Communities along the lakeshore of west Michigan should not be
penalized for the pollution created by cities 90 miles away on the
other side of Lake Michigan.
Here is how crazy this plan is, Mr. Chair. My hometown of Holland,
Michigan, sits on a county border, Ottawa County to the north, Allegan
County to the south. It is divided by 32nd Street. If you are a
business on the south side of 32nd Street in Allegan County, then you
are subject to the penalties. However, if you are a company directly
across the street in Ottawa County, then you are exempt.
This makes no sense. Ultimately, my understanding is that the State
of Michigan then could be responsible for the end implementation of
these emission reductions.
Therefore, the practical effect of my amendment would be to make it
so that Michigan can decide whether to enforce the ozone standards of
the new moderate levels or the previous marginal levels.
Mr. Chairman, I am one of the Republican co-chairs of the Great Lakes
Task Force. I am a member of the Conservative Climate Caucus. My
constituents and I want nothing more than clean air and water in our
Michigan communities, but we demand common sense, as well.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.

{time} 2300

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would prevent the EPA from
designating certain Michigan counties as being in nonattainment of the
2015 ozone standard.
Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA is required to set National Ambient
Air Quality Standards for contaminants, like ground-level ozone, that
are adequate to protect public health, including the health of
sensitive groups, such as children and the elderly. These health
standards, or NAAQS, must reflect the recent scientific and medical
data.
Once EPA sets or revises a NAAQS, EPA uses air-monitoring data
recommendations from States to determine which areas meet the standard
and those that do not, known as being in nonattainment. States then go
to work to develop plans using the most cost-effective strategies to
bring nonattainment areas in compliance with the standard.
Allowing a county that exceeds the standard to be considered in
attainment doesn't do anything for the families and workers living in
those counties who are breathing toxic air. It tells America that there
is nothing to see here while they bear the brunt of the environmental
hazards.
Contrary to what polluters will have Members believe, being
designated as nonattainment does not shut down economies. Businesses
have and do continue to operate and expand in nonattainment areas.
However, the designation ensures that States and businesses are taking
measures to control air pollution and help communities to achieve
cleaner, healthier air.
This amendment is a sweetheart deal for just three counties in
Michigan. It puts polluters over people, allowing industry to emit more
toxic contaminants, and leaving Americans to pay with their own health.
Breathing air containing ozone can reduce lung function and inflame
airways, which can aggravate respiratory systems and trigger asthma
attacks. Ozone exposure also increases the risk of premature death from
heart or lung disease. More asthma attacks and more respiratory disease
mean more medication, more doctors' visits, more trips to the ER, and
more hospital admissions. It also means more absences from school and
work. All of this is a drag on the economy.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, which fails
to recognize the serious threat of air pollution and leaves families
and children unprotected.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Michigan has 1\1/2\ minutes
remaining. The gentlewoman from Maine has 2\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Chairman, to my colleagues, here is the problem: It
is not a sweetheart deal for three counties. It is common sense. We are
penalizing the receivers of the pollution, not the producers of the
pollution. This is the problem with the EPA. This is the problem with
the Federal Government implementing it this way.
It is partial counties. Mr. Chairman, how in the heck is the air
supposed to figure out which side of part of the county it is on, or,
in the case of my hometown of Holland, which side of the county line it
is on?
Mr. Chairman, in Allegan County, the ozone attainment measuring unit
was in the playground of a school along the lakeshore. That school has
now been closed. In between the measuring unit and the lakeshore, there
was not a single industrial producer of any kind of ozone or pollution.
Mr. Chairman, we are measuring fantasy. We are not measuring reality.
Once again, here we have the Federal Government going after the victims
rather than the perpetrators, and that has been my point to my
colleague across the aisle and everyone else who will listen. Let's go
after the polluters, not those who are receiving the pollution.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I do appreciate the concerns that my
colleague on the other side of the aisle expresses. Representing Maine,
we are actually one of those States that receives the bad air of much
of the Midwestern States. I am well aware of the concerns that the
gentleman is expressing.
It actually sounds like my colleague on the other side of the aisle
is in favor of the Good Neighbor Authority, which the Supreme Court
recently pushed back on, which would, in fact, do more to penalize the
perpetrators.
I agree with the gentleman. We should penalize polluters, but I will
say that much of the agenda on the other side of the aisle has been to
do the opposite. I hope we can continue fighting to make sure we are
pointing fingers at exactly the sources of that pollution and not
allowing random counties to be penalized or whole States like mine, who
often experience bad air from other States.

[[Page H4856]]

I urge opposition to this amendment. The fact is that these three
counties are out of attainment. Those people who live in those counties
need a remedy and need to have cleaner air.
Mr. Chair, I urge opposition, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 47 Offered by Mr. Jackson of Texas

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 47
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 7, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $5,268,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Jackson) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I urge all of my colleagues to
support my amendment to rein in the overreach of the Fish and Wildlife
Service under the Biden-Harris administration by restoring funding to
the fiscal year 2021 level.
Under this administration, the Fish and Wildlife Service has caused
significant harm to the industries that are most important to our rural
communities. President Biden, Vice President Harris, and their entire
administration have weaponized the Endangered Species Act to target
America's agricultural and oil and gas producers in an effort to
advance radical Green New Deal initiatives.
In contrast, during the Trump administration, the Fish and Wildlife
Service undertook efforts to add and remove species from the endangered
and threatened species list based solely on the best available
scientific and commercial information.
Unfortunately, the Biden and Harris administration has proven they
are more focused on political motivations and appeasing the radical
left than they are in undertaking efforts to responsibly conserve
species. Make no mistake: The listing of the lesser prairie-chicken,
the northern long-eared bat, and the Texas kangaroo rat are nothing
more than an attempt to destroy the livelihoods of America's farmers,
ranchers, and oil and gas producers.
The conservation of our wildlife and natural habitats can only be
done successfully when it is driven by local conservation efforts that
balance responsible stewardship and economic development.
This cannot be done by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., who are
pushing a climate-change narrative. This body must restore fiscal
sanity and curb the Fish and Wildlife Service's abusive power and out-
of-control funding level.
Mr. Chair, I urge every Member of this body to support my amendment,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Huizenga). The gentlewoman from Maine is
recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, this amendment seeks to reduce the Fish and
Wildlife Service back to fiscal year 2021 levels. The House-based bill
already reduces the Service's funding by $144 million, or 8 percent
below the enacted level, which would make it impossible for that
critically important agency to function.
Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment. I encourage my colleagues to
oppose it as well, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I once again encourage all of my
colleagues to vote for this. This is just another example of out-of-
control government regulation, and I think this is in the best
interests of our country.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Jackson).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 48 Offered by Mr. Jackson of Texas

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 48
printed in part B of House Report 118-602.
Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:

texas kangaroo rat

Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
proposed rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and
Plants; Endangered Species Status for Texas Kangaroo Rat and
Designation of Critical Habitat'' (88 Fed. Reg. 55962;
published August 17, 2023).

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Jackson) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.

{time} 2310

Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to
support my amendment to stop the Federal land grab happening in my
district by the Biden-Harris administration's radical Fish and Wildlife
Service.
My amendment will prohibit the implementation of the devastating
proposed rule to list the Texas kangaroo rat as endangered which would
subsequently designate 600,000 acres of private property across five
counties as critical habitat.
This decision is another example of the Biden-Harris administration's
weaponization of the Endangered Species Act against American farmers,
ranchers, and oil and gas producers.
A designation of this land will significantly harm everyday Americans
who provide food and fuel that our country relies upon by putting in
place overburdensome, expensive, and overreaching regulations that are
completely unnecessary.
While the State of Texas has already taken the initiative to
voluntarily enroll thousands of acres of agricultural land to conserve
the Texas kangaroo rat, the Biden-Harris Fish and Wildlife Service has
decided to ignore these efforts by imposing aggressive regulations that
carry significant civil and criminal penalties.
Farming and ranching industries are the cornerstone of Texas' unique
history, heritage, and economy, and this proposed rule is a direct
attack on Texas agriculture.
Unfortunately, the Biden-Harris administration will stop at nothing
to advance its radical, Green New Deal agenda and destroy our way of
life.
Texas has a proud history of responsible land management, and for any
effort to succeed, it must be driven by our local communities rather
than bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Chair, I urge every Member of this body to support my amendment
to stop this radical overreach by the Federal Government, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, nature is declining globally at rates
unprecedented in human history, and more than 1 million species are
currently threatened with extinction, many within decades.
This amendment seeks to legislate species status, rather than
providing species with a protection they are afforded under the
Endangered Species Act, our principle conservation law, and would
potentially increase litigation regarding the government's
responsibility to implement the statutory requirements of the
Endangered Species Act.
Once again, my Republican colleagues are disregarding the law. The
best available scientific and commercial information, not politics,
should determine whether a species is listed as threatened or
endangered.
This amendment circumvents the rigorous process that is in place to
make those determinations as well as the role of public input. The
primary factor influencing the viability of the Texas kangaroo rat is
habitat loss and conversion, largely related to historic land use
changes.
Human activities that threaten and diminish animal habitats, pollute
nature, and accelerate global warming

[[Page H4857]]

are driving species' extinction and creating unhealthy ecosystems.
When we lose a species, impacts reverberate throughout ecosystems,
and we all suffer because our economy, health, livelihoods, food
security, and quality of life all depend on healthy ecosystems.
Defunding the service's ability to list species would work against
the clear intent of the Endangered Species Act and would further
litigation by outside groups on both sides. It would also undercut the
service's ability to work collaboratively with Tribes, other Federal
agencies, States, local communities, and landowners to conserve the
species.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment and protect
the vulnerable species so future generations can benefit from a world
with healthy ecosystems and robust biodiversity.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, I will say that as a marine
biologist, I am totally in full support of making sure that we do not
do things that drive a species into extinction. I will say, however,
that there must be a balance with an economic impact, and the economic
impact in the district that I represent in the panhandle of Texas would
be devastating.
I think that these decisions on placing species on the endangered
species list must be driven by scientific data, not by political
ideology.
Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this
amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Jackson).
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
Jackson of Texas) having assumed the chair, Mr. Huizenga, Acting Chair
of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported
that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R.
8998) making appropriations for the Department of the Interior,
environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September
30, 2025, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.

____________________