Victor Fazio: “Mr. Chairman, I first would like to congratulate my good friend, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. McDade] for the…”

“Mr. Chairman, I first would like to congratulate my good friend, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. McDade] for the very hard work and dedication that he has exhibited in bringing this bill to the floor. As the new chairman of the Energy and Water Subcommittee, he has taken hold and demonstrated a unique spirit of bipartisanship and his strong leadership in guiding the energy and water policy of this country. The recommended energy and water development appropriations bill for fiscal year 1998 is essentially level with last year and is within the allocation of both budget authority and outlays to this subcommittee. Consistent with tradition, the committee has smiled more favorably, I think it is fair to say, on water development projects than the administration has requested, to the tune of some $550 million over the budget request. Although we could not accommodate 100 percent of those requests, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. McDade has paid particular attention to these needs throughout the country, although the water development area is still significantly cut back by some $188 million below last year's amount.”