Appropriations for FY2004: Interior and Related Agencies

Publication Date: August 2003

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Banking and finance; Government

Type:

Abstract:

The Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations bill includes funds for the Department of the Interior (DOI), except for the Bureau of Reclamation, and for some agencies or programs within three other departments — Agriculture, Energy, and Health and Human Services. It also funds numerous smaller related agencies. President Bush’s FY2004 budget for Interior and related agencies totals $19.49 billion. In FY2003, Congress enacted (P.L.108-7) $18.96 billion, plus $825 million for wildland fire fighting efforts in FY2002, for a bill total of $19.79 billion. For DOI agencies, the President seeks $9.76 billion, as compared with $9.40 billion for FY2003 or $9.59 billion including a portion of the supplemental fire funds. For non-DOI agencies, the President recommends $9.73 billion, whereas for FY2003 Congress enacted $9.56 billion or $10.20 billion including the rest of the supplemental fire monies.

On July 17, 2003, the House passed H.R. 2691 (268-152) containing a total of $19.60 billion for Interior and related agencies for FY2004. This total is $110.1 million more than the President’s request, but $12.6 million less than the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and $186.4 million less than the FY2003 enacted amount (including the supplemental fire funds). For DOI agencies, the House approved $9.66 billion, and for non-DOI agencies the supported $9.94 billion.

On July 10, 2003, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reported a companion bill (S. 1391, S. Rept. 108-89) containing $19.61 billion for FY2004. The total is $122.7 million more than requested by the President and $12.6 million more than recommended by the House Committee on Appropriations, but $173.8 million less than enacted in FY2003. The Committee bill contained $9.83 billion in total for DOI agencies, more than was enacted in FY2003, requested for FY2004, and recommended by the House Committee for FY2004. For non-DOI agencies, the Senate Committee approved $9.78 billion, less than enacted in FY2003 and approved by the House Committee for FY2004, but more than requested by the President for FY2004.

Controversial issues that have arisen in the context of consideration of the Interior bill have included: funding for land acquisition and conservation, fire management and funding for wildfires, outsourcing of government jobs, development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, renewal of grazing permits and leases, Everglades restoration, conflict over water use in the Klamath River Basin, development of oil and gas leases off the California coast, and management of the Indian tribes’ trust funds and assets. This report will be updated following major congressional action on Interior appropriations legislation.