Doc Hastings: “while I am not present for today's debate on this rule or on the underlying Fiscal Year 2006 Energy and Water…”

“while I am not present for today's debate on this rule or on the underlying Fiscal Year 2006 Energy and Water Appropriations bill due to an illness in my family, I do urge my colleagues to support both measures. This is an open rule and allows for full debate on funding for the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and all programs and activities of the Department of Energy in the next fiscal year. Writing this bill was a challenging task, as Subcommittee Chairman Hobson had over $130 million less to spend in Fiscal Year 2006 than was spent in Fiscal Year 2005. I commend Chairman Hobson for the tremendous leadership he has shown in constructing this bill and for garnering bipartisan support for it in both his Subcommittee and the full Appropriations Committee. I fully expect it will pass this House with strong bipartisan support as well. I particularly want to thank Chairman Hobson for the continued commitment he has shown to the Department of Energy's Environmental Management program and cleanup of the Hanford site in Washington state. The Administration's proposed budget reductions at Hanford would have jeopardized the progress and cleanup momentum that has been achieved through accelerated cleanup over the past 3 years and put cleanup deadlines in jeopardy of being missed.…”