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STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN ON THE ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS BILL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004
September 24, 2003
STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN ON THE ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS BILL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004For Immediate Release
Wednesday, Sep 24, 2003
Mr. President, last week the Senate passed the annual energy and water appropriations bill. As my colleagues well know, the energy and water development appropriations bill is perhaps one of the most important measures this body considers each year. This bill provides funding for our nation’s energy resources, finances much-needed improvements to our water infrastructure and provides funding for critical aspects of our national security needs.
Let me begin, Mr. President, by commending the managers of this bill, Sen. Domenici, the Chairman of the subcommittee on energy and water development, and Sen. Reid, the subcommittee’s ranking member, for their hard work on this legislation. The task before them was great, and they successfully completed this bill in a timely fashion, allowing the appropriations process to move forward.
As my colleagues know, this legislation funds critical cleanup activities at various sites across the country and continues ongoing water infrastructure projects managed by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. Furthermore, the bill increases funding for the energy supply, designed to develop new energy technologies and improve existing energy programs. These are significant aspects of this legislation and seek to ensure a diverse energy supply for our nation.
Given the energy problems facing our country, these aspects of the bill are worthy pursuits. Again, Mr. President, I have tremendous respect for the hard work done by the managers in putting this bill together. I am, however, disappointed that once again my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee have succumbed to temptation and loaded this bill with numerous locality-specific earmarks, special deals and unnecessary, wasteful porkbarrel spending projects.
This bill contains nearly $1.2 billion more than what was appropriated for fiscal year 2003 and is over $700 million more than the Administration’s budget request. In this bill, I have identified over 700 items of unrequested, locality specific earmarks, unauthorized spending and special deals for certain states totaling nearly $1.5 billion. I will post a list of these items on my official Senate website.
Mr. President, let me highlight just some of the egregious aspects of this bill.
• $6.9 million for the New Mexico Education Enrichment Foundation. ((Aren’t any of the other 49 states in this country entitled to “Education Enrichment?”)).
• $1 million for water management in Hawaii.
• $1.5 million above the budget request for oyster recovery in Maryland and Virginia.
• $500,000 for exhibits at the Atomic Testing History Institute in Nevada. ((History Institute - a pretty fancy name for a museum)).
• Language directing the Corps of Engineers to repair a Fish Viewing Building in Washington State.
• $13 million above the budget request for the Kanawha River in West Virginia.
• $1.5 million for the University of Nevada-Las Vegas to conduct safety and risk analysis.
• $20 million for the Lewis and Clark Water Project in South Dakota.
• $3 million above the budget request for the Tropicana and Flamingo Washes in Nevada.
• $105 million to build a “microsystem and engineering” facility in New Mexico.
• $690 million to build a waste treatment plant in Richland, Washington.
• $14 million to build an “immobilized” interim waste storage facility in Richland, Washington. ((Just how many wastes facilities does Richland, Washington need? Thankfully this one is “immobilized” - there’s nothing more disturbing than “mobilized” waste)).
• $20.2 million to build a glass waste storage building in Savannah River, South Carolina.
• $38 million above the request for the Appalachian Regional Commission.
• $5 million above the budget request for the Delta Regional Authority.
• $39 million above the budget request for the Denali Commission.
Mr. President, the Corps of Engineers general construction account itself contains 128 unrequested, locality-specific projects which total over $382 million. Let me read a few of those for the Record. I ask unanimous consent that the list of these 128 projects be printed in the Record. ((see list at end of statement))
I am confident that many of my colleagues will maintain the importance of the need to fully fund these and many of the other projects in their respective states. That is fine. I do not fault them for it. In fact, let me state clearly, that I do not question the merits of these projects. Most of them, I am sure, are very important and worthy of federal funds.
It is the process, Mr. President, with which I have a serious problem. The Appropriations Committee has effectively usurped the power of the authorizing committees and acts as one, all-powerful funding machine. Projects are often funded with little or no background study, and are approved after simply being requested by a fellow Senator. These same projects are directed to certain states and localities, completely circumventing the proper, competitive-based awards process. Additionally, as is the case throughout this bill, members of the Appropriations Committee use directive language to force cabinet secretaries and agency heads to use scarce taxpayer dollars to fund members’ pet projects, while not allotting them a single dime with which to fulfill the requirements imposed upon them by the appropriators.
Additionally, Mr. President, this bill deauthorizes 20 inactive corps projects, some dating as far back as 1946. While I appreciate the committee recognizing the need for inactive projects to be deauthorized, I must point out that an appropriations bill is simply not the place for this type of language. A project should be deauthorized in the same way it is supposed to be authorized - by the appropriate authorizing committee. Not by the appropriations committee.
Mr. President, as I often do during consideration of the appropriations bills, I had planned to offer an amendment to this bill to strip a provision that is designed to benefit one specific water project in the State of New Mexico. I chose not to offer my amendment in this case for various reasons. But I am putting the Senate on notice - I will continue to offer amendments to the remaining appropriations bills if these bills continue to come before this body loaded with unrequested earmarks or other unnecessary or wasteful spending.
Mr. President, as all of my colleagues know, CBO recently projected a potentially debilitating $480 billion deficit for 2004. More importantly, we are at war. President Bush is poised to request a supplemental appropriation of $87 billion for the ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every one of us has asked ourselves the same question: “where is that money going to come from?” I have an idea Mr. President. Let’s start with this bill. Let’s eliminate all of the unrequested earmarks, all of the special deals, all of the pork and all of the waste. Let’s prove to the American taxpayer that we in Washington do not see them as simply a cash cow for our every financial whim.
Both the President and the Vice President have recently called on Congress to control spending at this crucial time. Is it too much to ask Congress to tighten their own belts in order to benefit the men and women of the armed forces who continue to fight - and die - so that others may live free of tyranny and oppression? I don’t think it’s a lot to ask Mr. President, I think it’s our responsibility. We simply cannot continue to spend hardworking American’s tax dollars in such an irresponsible manner any longer.
UNREQUESTED ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEER CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Alaska
• $4 Million for Dillingham Emergency Bank
• $3 Million for Dillingham Small Boak
• $4 Million for Kake Dam
• $1 Million for Sand Point
• $1 Million for Sitka
• $10 Million for Wrangell
Arizona:
• $3.5 Million for Rio De Flagg, Flagstaff
• $7 Million for Tres Rios
• $5 Million for Tucson Drainage Area
Arkansas
• An increase of $7 Million over the budget request for Montgomery Point Lock and Dam
• $3 Million for Ozark- Jeta Taylor (Rehabilitation for powerhouse)
• $750,000 for the Red River below Denison Dam
• $1.25 Million for the Red River Emergency Bank
California
• An increase of $1 Million over the budget request for Hamilton Airfield Wetlands Restoration
• $4 Million for Harbor South Bay Water Recycling
• $200,000 for Imperial Beach
• An increase of $2.5 Million over the budget request for Napa River
• An increase of $13 Million over the budget request amount for Oakland Harbor
• $15 Million for the Port of Los Angeles Main Deepening
Delaware
• $214,000 for the Delaware Cost from Cape Henlopen to Fenwick Island
• $500,000 for the Delaware Bay Coastline, Port Mahon
Florida
• $1 Million for Florida Keys Water Quality Improvement
• $500,000 for Tampa Harbor
Georgia
• An increase of $1.5 Million over the budget request for Brunswick Harbor
• $3.85 Million for the Richard B. Russell Dam and Lake
Hawaii
• $1 Million for Hawaii Water Management
• $175,000 for Lao Stream Flood Control
• $2.5 Million for Kaumalapau Harbor in Lanai
Illinois
• $1 Million for the Chicago Shoreline
• $4 Million for Lock and Dam 24 of the Mississippi River
• $100,000 for Nutwood Levee
Indiana
• $500,000 for the City of Indianapolis
Iowa
• $500,000 for the Des Moines Recreational River and Greenbelt
• $750,000 for Lock and Dam 19
• An increase of $6.6 Million over the budget request for the Missouri River Levee System
Louisiana
• $500,000 for Ascension Parish
• An increase of $2 Million over the budget request for Comite River
• $500,000 for East Baton Rouge Parish
• $200,000 for Grand Isle and vicinity
• An increase of $5 Million over the budget request for the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal Lock
• An increase of $1.3 Million over the budget request for the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway
• An increase of $3 Million over the budget request for Lake Pontchartrain and vicinity
• $500,000 for Livingston Parish
• $200,000 for Mississippi River, Gulf Outlet
Maryland
• $1.6 Million for Chesapeake Bay Environmental Restitution and Protection
• An increase of $1.5 Million over the budget request for Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery
• $4 Million for Cumberland
Massachusetts
• $1 Million for Muddy River, Brookline and Boston
Michigan
• $200,000 for Genessee County
• $250,000 for Negaunee
• $2 Million for Sault Ste. Marie Lock Replacement
• $388,000 for Twelve Towns Drain Retention Facility
Minnesota
• $1 Million for Breckenridge
• $250,000 for Upper Mississippi River, Mississippi Place, and St. Paul
Mississippi
• $11 Million for Desoto County
• $2.5 Million for Gulfport Harbor
• $8 Million for Mississippi Environmental Infrastructure
Missouri
• An increase of $500,000 over the budget request for Blue River Basin
• An increase of $4 Million over the budget request for Blue River Channel
• $500,000 for Bois Brule Leves and Drainage
• An increase of $1 Million over the budget request for Meramec River Basin
• $3 Million for Missouri and Middle Mississippi Rivers Enhancement
• An increase of $500,000 over the budget request for Table Rock Lake for Dam Safety
Montana
• $8 Million for Fort Peck Fish Hatchery
• $3 Million for Rural Montana
Nebraska
• $1.5 Million for Antelope Creek
• $500,000 for Sand Creek Watershed
• $500,000 for Western Sarpy and Clear Creek
Nevada
• $10 Million for rural Nevada
• An increase of $3.3 Million over the budget request for the Tropicana and Flamingo Washes
New Jersey
• $500,000 for Brigantine Inlet to Great Egg
• An increase of $9.6 Million over the budget request for the Delaware River Main Channel
• An increase of $659,000 for the Lower Cape May Meadows, Cape May Point
• $500,000 for Passaic River Flood Management
• $500,000 for the Passaic River Steambank Restoration
• $250,000 for the Ramapo and Mahwah Rivers
• An increase of $522,000 over the budget request for the Raritan River Basin and the Green Book Sub-basin
• An increase of $800,000 over the budget request for Townsends Inlet to Cap May Inlet
New Mexico
• An increase of $700,000 over the budget request for the Acequias Irrigation System
• An increase of $600,000 over the budget request for Alamogordo
• $6 Million for Central New Mexico
• $600,000 for Middle Rio Grande Flood Damage Reduction
• $600,000 for the Rio Grande Floodway, from San Acacia to Bosque Del Apache
North Carolina
• $1 Million for Dare County Beaches, and Bodie Island
• $200,000 for West Onslow Beach and New River
• An increase of $10.4 Million over the budget request for Wilmington Harbor
North Dakota
• An increase of $482,000 over the budget request for the Buford Trenton Irrigation District Land Acquisition
• $1 Million for Grafton Park River
• An increase of $13.5 Million over the budget request for Grand Forks and East Grand Forks
• $50,000 for Missouri River restoration
Ohio
• $2 Million for Holes Creek in West Carrollton
• $3 Million for the metropolitan region of Cincinnati, Duck Creek
Oklahoma
• $2 Million for Canton Lake Dam Safety
• $2.5 Million for Lawton
Oregon
• $5 Million for Bonneville Powerhouse Phase II
Pennsylvania
• $1 Million for the Schuykill River Park
South Carolina
• $200,000 for Folly Beach
• $350,000 for Lake Marion and Moultrie
South Dakota
• An increase of $6.2 Million over the budget request for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Lower Brule Sioux
• $500,000 for Missouri River Restoration
• An increase of $1.7 Million for Pierre
Tennessee
• $1 Million for Black Fix, Oaklands, and Murfee Springs Wetlands
• $1.7 for the Cumberland County Water Supply
Texas
• An increase of $1.3 Million over the budget request for Brays Bayou
• $9.28 Million for Dallas Floodway extension
• An increase of $21 Million over the budget request for Houston Galveston Navigation Channels
• $5 Million for North Padre Island Packery Channel
• $2 million for Red River Chloride Control
Vermont
• $500,000 Lake Champlain Watershed Initiative
Virginia
• $3 Million for Embrey Dam
• $3 Million for Lake Merriweather, Little Calfpasture
• $4 Million for Norfolk Channel Harbor
Washington
• An increase of $2.1 Million over the budget request for Chief Joseph Dam Gas Abatement
• An increase of $700,000 for Mt St. Helens Sediment Control
• $1.5 Million for Puget Sound and adjacent Waters
• $1 Million for Shoalwater Bay Shoreline Erosion
• An increase of $250,000 over the budget request for the Dalles Powerhouse (Units 1-14)
West Virginia
• An increase of $1.7 Million for Bluestone Lake Dam Safety
• $3 Million for Greenbriar River
• An increase of $8.4 Million over the budget request for Levisa and Tug Forks and Upper Cumberland River
• An increase of $13 Million over the budget request for Marmet Lock, on the Kanawha River
Wyoming
• $500,000 for Jackson Hole
Miscellaneous Provisions
• An increase of $5 Million over the budget request for Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration
• An increase of $6 Million over the budget request for Dam Safety and Seepage/Stability Correction Program
• An increase of $2 Million over the budget request for Emergency Stream bank and Shoreline Protection
• An increase of $10 Million over the budget request for Flood Control Projects
• An increase of $3 Million over the budget request for navigation projects
• An increase of $3 Million over the budget request for project modifications for improving the environment.
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