Mark Souder: “I understand there was some discussion in committee about the operations budget for the National Park Service. This…”

“I understand there was some discussion in committee about the operations budget for the National Park Service. This issue is of great concern to me, and despite the committee's efforts to direct a greater proportion of the Park Service resources to the operational needs of individual parks, the bill does not go nearly far enough toward addressing the $600 million annual appropriations shortfall. As the gentleman knows, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) and I, along with 82 of our colleagues, requested an operations increase this year of $190 million from the Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies and $50 million from the homeland security bill. The committee has provided only a $76 million increase, with $55 million of that amount directed toward base operations of the parks. In light of the parks having had to absorb $170 million during the last 3 years, including additional costs for homeland security, salaries, wasteful competitive sourcing studies and other new mandatory costs, this amount clearly is not enough. I know that the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks) offered an amendment in committee that would have added $45 million more for operations, but it was withdrawn. I am considering offering the same amendment on the floor.”