House Dems Boost Bucks For Parks, Climate, Environment - WH: "Irresponsible & Excessive" - ENN

[hatrack]

WASHINGTON -- The House put spending hikes for the environment, national parks and global warming research center stage Tuesday as lawmakers worked through the Interior appropriations bill. Democrats argue such programs have gotten short shrift for years under President Bush's leadership, but their resulting increases for items such as Environmental Protection Agency clean water grants have incited the White House into threatening to veto the bill as "irresponsible and excessive."

The measure represents the latest skirmish in an ongoing battle between the White House and Democrats over the 12 annual spending bills doling out the approximately one-third of the federal budget passed each year by Congress. Democrats almost doubled funding for research into climate change and trumpeted an 11 percent increase to operate and maintain national parks in advance of a major 100th-anniversary celebration in 2016. "Our national parks have been shortchanged for far too long," said Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., as the House opened debate on the Interior appropriations measure. The bill is expected to be completed Wednesday.

In most other accounts, the increases are typically small and are generally focused on run-of-the-mill operating accounts that for years have had to absorb costs from inflation and higher pay for federal workers. But they add up, and the resulting measure is almost 9 percent over Bush's budget request and 4 percent over funding approved last year.

"Between 2001 and 2007 ... funding for the Interior Department fell 16 percent, EPA by 29 percent and the Forest Service non-fire budget by 35 percent, when adjusted for inflation," said the bill's floor manager, Norm Dicks, D-Wash.

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http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=13033

[acmavm]

1. We got killin' to pay for. That's what's important.

[Lasher]

2. How about yet another monster aircraft carrier named after another loser president?

That's not excessive is it? That is one of the first words that comes to mind when describing this administration.

[Bitwit1234]

3. His family and friends don't own them

they aren't making money. So it is the tax and spend democrats who want to take some of the billions bush has funneled to his family, friends and corporation buddies....HE TELL THE COUNTRY THE DEFICIT IS DEMOCRATS FAULT, WAIT AND SEE.