Appropriations for FY2003: Interior and Related Agencies

Publication Date: March 2003

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Banking and finance

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Abstract:

The Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations bill includes funds for the Department of the Interior (DOI), except for the Bureau of Reclamation, and funds for some agencies or programs within three other departments: Agriculture, Energy, and Health and Human Services. It also funds numerous smaller related agencies. On February 4, 2002, President Bush submitted his FY2003 budget for Interior and related agencies, totaling $18.94 billion compared to $19.17 billion enacted for FY2002 (P.L.107-63). While the House passed an Interior funding bill in the 107th Congress, the Senate did not. Thus, a series of resolutions were enacted to continue funding at FY2002 levels.

On January 23rd, 2003, the Senate passed H.J.Res. 2, the omnibus appropriations bill for FY2003 that included funding for Interior and related agencies and 10 other regular appropriations bills not enacted for FY2003. For Interior and related agencies, the Senate bill contained $18.97 billion for FY2003, plus an $825 million fire supplemental for FY2002, for a bill total of $19.80 billion. The Senate bill required across-the-board cuts of 2.852% that the numbers in this report do not reflect, as it is unclear how they were to be calculated for the Interior and related agencies. The House-passed measure (H.R. 5093, 107th Congress) contained $19.71 billion for FY2003, plus a $700 million fire supplemental for FY2002, for a bill total of $20.41 billion. The conference report on the measure (H.Rept. 108-10) was signed into law on February 20, 2003 (P.L. 108-07).

The FY2003 law contained $19.08 billion for Interior and related agencies, plus $825.0 million for fire fighting to repay transferred amounts for fire fighting in FY2002. It provides that a 0.65% cut be applied on a proportionate basis to each account, and to each program, project, and activity within an account. Again, the figures in this report do not reflect across-the-board cuts, as it is unclear how they too would be calculated for the Interior and related agencies. The law does not specifically fund the Conservation Spending Category, although the House bill had recommended $1.44 billion for FY2003, higher than the Administration ($1.32 billion). It provides increases over the Administration's request for some agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Indian Health Service, and Energy Department programs, while providing decreases from the request for other agencies.

Controversial issues addressed during Interior bill consideration included: fire management, stewardship contracting, and wilderness in the Tongass National Forest (see FS); development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and renewal of grazing permits and leases (see BLM); Missouri River flows (see FWS); Everglades restoration; (see NPS and cross-cutting issues); funding for land acquisition and conservation (see cross-cutting issues); development of oil and gas leases off the California coast (see MMS); management of the Indian tribes' trust funds and assets (see BIA and OST); and drought assistance (see [http://www.congress.gov/brbk/html/ebagr48.html]). This report will not be updated.