Political Quotes

“This measure inserts a new title V adding funds for EPA and for AmeriCorps. The increase for EPA includes $200 million for State revolving loan funds for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, $50 million for Superfund, and $75 million for EPA operating programs. The amendment also removes the contingency requirement on $162 million of EPA funds contained in title IV. These additional funds are offset by debt collection legislation of $440 million and rescissions of unobligated contract authority of $48 million. The amendment also increases funding for the AmeriCorps program by $17 million, for a total of $402.5 million. This increase is offset by a reduction in HUD property disposition funding, provides $20 million to help HUD restructure and clarify its existing law for HUD block grants to New York, transfers $30 million for additional drug elimination funding in HUD-assisted housing, clarifies existing law for demolishing public housing in Texas, clarifies the rent rules in HUD-assisted housing, and provides program direction to NASA for a new satellite. Madam President, this second-degree amendment that my ranking member, Senator Mikulski, and I have submitted to the Lautenberg amendment reflects a great deal of effort.”