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Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 4506 - Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill, FY 1995

June 13, 1994

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

(House Floor)
(Sponsors: Obey (D), Wisconsin; Bevill (D), Alabama)

This Statement of Administration Policy provides the Administration's views on H.R. 4506, the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill, FY 1995, as reported by the House Appropriations Committee. The Administration supports House passage of H.R. 4506 and will work with Congress to address the concerns described below.

Department of Energy

The Administration objects to earmarks in appropriations bills. The Committee bill contains numerous earmarks in the solar, geothermal, and electric energy systems and storage programs. The Administration believes that these types of projects should be competitively awarded. Further, the Administration is concerned that the earmarks made by the Committee would endanger funding for high priority Administration investments, including the Climate Change Action Plan and Energy Policy Act activities.

The Committee has provided funds for some lower priority projects, including the Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor and the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF). The Administration urges the House to redirect funds from these lower priority items to high priority projects.

On June 8th, the President transmitted to Congress an amendment to the budget request for the Department of Energy. The amendment would redirect $102 million from prior-year balances to recently identified requirements within the nuclear weapons complex for Atomic Energy Defense Activities. The amendment would also shift $39 million in budget authority between two accounts within the Atomic Energy Defense Activities. The Administration urges the House to approve an amendment that is expected to be offered to implement the June 8th transmittal.

The Administration understands that there may be an amendment offered that would eliminate construction funding for the Tokamak Physics Experiment fusion project. The Administration would strongly object to such an amendment.

Army Corps of Engineers

The Committee has added over 100 unrequested studies and projects — at a cost of nearly $150 million — to the President's FY 1995.request. Some of these projects are uneconomic or would expand the Corps' mission to areas that have traditionally been non-Federal responsibilities. In addition, within this total, the Committee has provided funding for new start construction projects for which there are no Corps reports or for which reports have not undergone Administration review.

William J. Clinton, Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 4506 - Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill, FY 1995 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/329887

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