Chellie Pingree: “I thank the ranking member for yielding me time and for the nice comments and the ability to work with her on the…”

“I thank the ranking member for yielding me time and for the nice comments and the ability to work with her on the committee. I do appreciate the work of the Chair and the ranking member very much on this bill. Mr. Chair, there are so many important programs that are funded in the Department of Interior Appropriations bill. I am proud to be on this committee and particularly to serve on this subcommittee. Today's bill was written by a very good chairman in conjunction with a great ranking member, but at the end of the day, the funding levels are still too low. We cannot get bipartisan support on this bill when there are not enough dollars to go around. The reality is we need to get rid of the sequester, roll back the Budget Control Act caps, and pass these bills with funding levels that move our country forward, not backward. As so many of my colleagues have stated, when adjusted for inflation, this bill provides less than the appropriated levels in FY 2005. That is just not sufficient for the vital programs in this bill, programs that monitor and protect the water we drink and the air we breathe and regulate the products we use. There are some highlights in today's bill, such as the Bureau of Indian Education construction budget and the Forest Legacy program and the international forestry accounts, and I am glad to see them there, but there is so much more to be concerned about.…”