Steve Largent: “I rise today to conform the water infrastructure authorizations in H.R. 961, the Clean Water Amendments of 1995, to the…”

“I rise today to conform the water infrastructure authorizations in H.R. 961, the Clean Water Amendments of 1995, to the House budget resolution passed earlier yesterday morning. H.R. 961 currently authorizes roughly $3 billion annually for water infrastructure programs and capitalization of water quality State revolving funds. While these are laudable programs and the States do have an important unmet clean water need, the bill's authorization total is too high. The bills' fiscal year 1996 total of $3.05 billion is just over $750 million more than the $2.3 billion included in the House budget resolution passed by the Committee on the Budget. While my amendment represents a 25-percent reduction in H.R. 961, water infrastructure authorization, it still maintains the bill's authorization levels above the President's request of $1.87 billion for fiscal year 1996. Specifically, my amendment will eliminate the new nonpoint source State revolving fund capitalization program. This new program was not requested by the President and could cost up to $500 million a year. The program is redundant, since H.R. 961 allows moneys from the current State revolving fund program to be used for nonpoint source projects. My amendment further reduces the State revolving authorization from $2.5 billion annually to $2.25 billion in fiscal year 1996. That total is increased to $2.3 billion in fiscal years 1997 through 2000. My amendment will make a good bill better.”