WASHINGTON – Today, the House of Representatives met to consider H.R. 4821, The Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The measure was approved by the House with a vote of 213 to 203.

The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill provides new non-defense discretionary spending totaling $25.417 billion, which is $13.433 billion (35%) below the Fiscal Year 2023 enacted level and $21.371 billion below the President’s Budget Request. The bill also rescinds $9.373 billion in funding provided to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Presidio Trust, and the Council of Environmental Quality by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), bringing the program level to $34.790 billion (10%) below the FY23 enacted level. Overall, the bill’s allocation is below the FY18 enacted level. The bill fully funds the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program and prioritizes funding for Tribes and Wildland Fire Management. In addition, the bill provides a $2.65 billion fire suppression cap adjustment as authorized. The bill reduces funding for nearly every other appropriation in the bill, including a $3.962 billion (39%) reduction to the EPA. The bill meets the programmatic needs of the agencies within the Subcommittee’s jurisdiction by reining in spending for low priority programs.

H.R. 4821, The Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

• Reins in wasteful Washington spending and bureaucracy by: 
  • Rightsizing agency funding levels;
  • Expanding access to critical minerals;
  • Requiring oil and gas lease sales;
  • Limiting job killing regulations by the EPA, such as repealing the recent Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulation;
  • Limiting abuse of the Endangered Species Act regarding species such as the sage-grouse, the gray wolf, and the lesser-prairie chicken; and
  • Reducing funds for nearly every other appropriation in the bill, including eliminating funding for the Presidio and reducing the EPA by 39%.
• Prioritizes funding for public safety and critical operations and maintenance programs by: 
  • Providing a $1.604 billion increase in discretionary funding for the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service;
  • Providing funds for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, and the Indian Health Service at or above the comparable FY23 enacted level; and
  • Fully funding PILT estimated to be $515 million.

 
A summary of the bill, before adoption of amendments, is available here.