This will be the first of several EPA oversight hearings. Throughout this year, I will encourage the subcommittee Chairmen to conduct follow up, detailed hearings on specific EPA programs. Next Congress, each subcommittee Chairman will then report to the Committee an authorization bill for FY 2002 and 2003 covering their respective areas of jurisdiction. The full Committee will integrate the individual subcommittee bills into a final bill that establishes priorities among EPA's programs. With a budget exceeding $7 billion dollars a year, reporting a biennial authorization bill is the most effective way for the authorizing committee to examine EPA's priorities across all the programs and target limited resources in those areas where they can achieve the greatest results.
For the upcoming fiscal year the President has requested $7.3 billion in discretionary spending for the Environmental Protection Agency. After reviewing next year's budget request, I have some concerns. Year after year, EPA requests funding for numerous unauthorized programs at the expense of programs that directly benefit the States and EPA's core programs. A perfect example is this year's funding request for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The Administration request for the Clean Water SRF is $550 million below last year's enacted level. The Clean Water SRF is a proven program that has been extremely successful helping communities comply with the numerous and expensive regulations imposed by the Clean Water Act. I hear from my constituents in New Hampshire that it is more important than ever to make sure that the Clean Water SRF is adequately funded because a majority of the wastewater facilities are at the end of their design life. Reduced funding will mean less clean water in our communities
I also am concerned with the decrease in requested funding for the National Institute of Environmental Health Science. This will hinder the development of cost effective Superfund cleanups, delay new understanding of health effects and the development of innovative technologies.
I am also concerned with the significant number of unauthorized programs, or EPA initiatives as they are often called, that are allocated funding. The Administration requests funding for a number of these initiatives including the Clean Air Demonstration Program, the High Production Volume Chemical Testing Program and the Better America Bonds Initiative. I support some of these initiatives, such as the Brownfields program, but we must recognize that they compete with core statutory responsibilities.
The extensive oversight process that the Committee will engage in this year should focus EPA's resources in a manner that ensures that the American taxpayer is getting the biggest bang for the buck. In my view, that means EPA must, first, meet its core statutory obligations; and second, to the extent that EPA has the statutory authority to exercise discretion in allocating resources, they must do so in a manner that will maximize risk reduction for the greatest number of citizens.
I would like to welcome Administrator Browner and the EPA officials who have accompanied her today, and thank them for coming before the Committee. So, without further delay let's move on.