Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2022

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. PINGREE. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding the time. I thank her and Ranking Member Granger for their leadership on this committee.

I rise to support the fiscal year 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

I also want to thank Ranking Member Joyce for his collaboration and partnership through this process. It is truly a privilege and a pleasure to work with him.

I want to thank the hardworking committee staff, Rita Culp, who is our clerk; Jocelyn Hunn; Janet Erickson; Kusai Merchant; Tyler Coe; Marcel Caldwell; and also my personal staff, Evan Johnston, Lisa Pahel, and Katie Bergh. We couldn't do it without all of their hard work.

For fiscal year 2022, the subcommittee is recommending a total of $43.4 billion for the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill. This is an increase of $7.3 billion over last year's enacted level, which is a 20 percent increase. I am proud this bill makes long-overdue investments to care for our planet, to fight climate emergency, and to meet our trust obligations to Tribal nations.

The bill prioritizes the protection and preservation of our landscapes and biodiversity, providing $15.6 billion for the Department of the Interior.

It supports the administration's initiatives on climate change, such as the Civilian Climate Corps, and affirms the role of science as the foundation for decisionmaking. It funds a national initiative to reclaim abandoned mines and cap orphan oil and gas wells, and it makes investments in renewable energy development, including offshore wind.

Climate change is causing more extreme weather events and drought conditions, as well as worsening existing problems such as the spread of invasive species. These factors are all contributing to the increasing threat of high-intensity wildfires in the West.

The Interior bill not only provides $5.7 billion for wildland fire management but it also invests in programs to improve the health of our forests and make them more resilient.

The bill also includes major investments to clean up pollution and protect human health and the environment. The bill provides $11.4 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, the highest level in the Agency's history.

Across the country, Superfund cleanups are delayed because of the lack of funding. This bill boosts Superfund spending by 27 percent and will accelerate the pace of cleanup of toxic chemicals from the country's most contaminated sites.

The bill adopts a whole-of-government approach to address environmental justice and invests an unprecedented $248 million in these efforts.

Additionally, the bill provides $4 billion for grant programs to make drinking water and sewer system improvements, remove lead from our taps, improve air quality, and strengthen our Nation's recycling infrastructure.

These grants have profound impacts on public health and the environment, but they are also economic drivers that create good-paying American jobs.

Following our work in the CARES and the American Recovery Plan Acts, this bill supports the arts and humanities by providing $201 million for both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The cultural sector has been particularly devastated by COVID-19, and this funding will help to support relief and recovery for community organizations across the country.

Finally, this bill supports Native American families by investing in a strong and resilient Indian Country, including through education and healthcare programs.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. PINGREE. Within the Department of the Interior, the bill invests $4 billion in Indian Affairs programs, including an additional $180 million to address climate change impacts. For Indian Health Services, the bill provides an additional $1.9 billion toward meeting Federal treaty and trust obligations for healthcare.

The investments in this bill would improve the lives of Americans, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source