Christopher Shays: “I recognize the budgetary constraints under which Chairman Walsh is working, and commend him for doing an admirable job…”

“I recognize the budgetary constraints under which Chairman Walsh is working, and commend him for doing an admirable job under difficult circumstances. I am, however, deeply concerned about several programs reduced or eliminated in this bill. This legislation fails to fund EPA's Office of Long Island Sound Programs. On May 9, the House voted 391 to 29 to reauthorize the program at an $80 million level. Over the past decade, the Long Island Sound Office has been an essential partner with Connecticut and New York. Together we have made enormous progress in the cleanup of Long Island Sound. But, we still have much work to do and many challenges to face. It is critical the Long Island Sound Office funding be restored and increased significantly so we may succeed in cleaning up, preserving and protecting Long Island Sound for future generations. This bill also eliminates additional Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for disaster relief--providing only $300 million, a decrease of $2.4 billion from FY 00. It is fiscally irresponsible for this House to neglect to appropriate money for disaster relief. Natural disasters cannot be prevented, and the federal government has a responsibility to assist communities respond to emergencies. Relying on emergency spending appropriations bills to respond to inevitable disasters is simply not good budgeting.”