On the recordSeptember 6, 2017
It is my distinct honor to bring to the House floor the fiscal year 2018 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Before I go into the details of the bill, I would like to commend Chairman Frelinghuysen for his commitment to the appropriations process. Under Chairman Frelinghuysen's leadership, the committee has moved its bills through the full committee and is now bringing all 12 fiscal year 2018 bills to the House floor. As reported by the Appropriations Committee, the fiscal year 2018 Interior and Environment bill is funded at $31.456 billion, which is $824 million below the fiscal year 2017 enacted level and $4.3 billion above the budget request. This legislation makes a concerted effort to prioritize critical needs within our allocation while also addressing specific interests and concerns brought to our attention through more than 5,000 individual Member requests. In the interest of time, I won't outline all of the programs and activities funded in this bill, but I would like to point out a few highlights. The committee has provided robust wildland fire funding in this bill. Fire suppression accounts are again fully funded at the 10- year average level, and the bill increases funding for hazardous fuels reduction. The bill funds the Payments in Lieu of Taxes, PILT, program at the fiscal year 2017 enacted level. Rural counties in 49 of the 50 States rely on these funds to make up for lost tax revenue.…
