John Doolittle: “Mr. Speaker, the primary intent of H.R. 1743 is to extend the authorization for the State Water Resources Research…”

“Mr. Speaker, the primary intent of H.R. 1743 is to extend the authorization for the State Water Resources Research Institutes. There are 54 of these institutes located at the land grant university in each of the 50 States and several of the territories. These institutes are a primary link between the academic community, the water-related personnel, and the Federal and State governments and the private sector. H.R. 1743 would expand the act's findings and focus on the need for long-term planning and policy development and maintaining productivity of national resources and agricultural systems. In the fiscal year 1996 interior appropriations conference, there was a request to introduce an additional element of competition into this program. Subsequent discussions resulted in the USGS crafting a competitive element of the program, which takes funding out of the grants to the States and creates a competitive regional program. Unfortunatly, it did not leave adequate base funding for the State program.”