Newhouse Praises House Passage of Interior Appropriations Bill

Press Release

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the House approved H.R. 5538, the Fiscal Year 2017 Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. This legislation provides annual funding for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Forest Service, the Indian Health Service, and various independent and related agencies. The measure reduces overall funding in the bill by $64 million below the FY 2016 level and $1 billion below the President's request. Additionally, this legislation prohibits funding for implementation of the Waters of the United States Rule, cuts the Endangered Species Act listing budget by 23%, provides flexibility for states to implement new ozone standards, and funds critical wildfire mitigation, suppression, and response activities to address the threat posed by catastrophic wildfires.

"I applaud House approval of this fiscally-responsible legislation to stop federal regulatory overreach while providing for critical priorities for rural communities across the country and in Central Washington," said Rep. Newhouse. "This legislation reins in the EPA by reducing overall funding, holds EPA to the lowest staffing level since 1989, and blocks spending on egregious federal rules such as WOTUS. I am pleased that my amendments were included to require the EPA to adhere to the law's intended scope rather than expanding regulations to target farmers, to minimize livestock-losses from wolf predation, and to encourage federal agencies to move forward with rules to delist the gray wolf. My amendment with my colleague, Rep. Crawford, also reiterates the ban on lobbying by federal agencies in light of the recent violations related to What's Upstream. Finally, this legislation provides necessary resources to fully fund wildfire suppression and hazardous fuels management as well as support for communities surrounded by federal lands."

H.R. 5538 includes four amendments offered by Rep. Newhouse:

To prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from expanding regulations under the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 to target farmers, livestock producers, and dairies. The amendment would prohibit funding for the EPA to issue new regulations under the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) that apply to animal feeding operations. Agriculture is currently exempt from this law, and this amendment ensures the Agency does not circumvent Congress's will.

To restore funding for the "Wolf Livestock Loss Demonstration Program," which assists livestock producers in undertaking proactive, non-lethal activities to reduce the risk of livestock loss from predation by wolves, and addresses livestock losses caused by wolves.

To prohibit the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service from using any funds to continue treating the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act after June 13, 2017. The amendment does not delist the gray wolf but encourages U.S. Fish & Wildlife to move forward with its own proposed delisting rule.

An amendment offered by Rep. Newhouse and Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) to address the recent EPA-funded, anti-agriculture "What's Upstream" lobbying campaign in Washington state. The amendment reiterates current law by prohibiting funds from being used in support of grassroots advocacy campaigns whose efforts are intended to persuade the outcomes of legislation in either Congress or other official in federal or state governments.

Newhouse initiatives contained in the underlying bill:

Rep. Newhouse added language to the overall bill urging the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to finalize its proposal to delist recovered gray wolves range-wide, which is included on page 16 of the report.

Rep. Newhouse requested funding for hazardous fuels management be prioritized to promote forest management and reduce the risk of forest fires. The overall bill includes $575 million for the program, which is $30 million above the Fiscal Year 2016 level.

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