On the recordJune 25, 2015
I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the fiscal year 2016 Department of the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. This is the eighth of the 12 individual bills that have made it to the floor. That is a record pace, by the way. It is the fastest that these bills have come before the House since at least 1974, when the Budget Control Act came into being. This bill, as the chairman said, provides just over $30 billion in discretionary funding for programs that preserve and nurture our Nation's unique natural and cultural heritage. This fulfills our responsibility to the American taxpayers to provide funding for these important programs within a smart and sustainable budget. Our responsibility to the American taxpayers, of course, doesn't end there. The people of this Nation expect their government to act in a way that fosters economic development and job creation. This current administration has been neglecting that duty, instead choosing to push a regulatory agenda that would create an environment hostile to economic growth, that would put our energy independence at risk, and that could cost thousands of hard-working Americans their jobs. So this bill takes important steps to stop this harmful executive overreach. First and foremost, we limit funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, cutting its funding by 9 percent from last year.…
