*** This message is being e-mailed to all EPA Employees ***
To All EPA Employees:
On Monday, September 11, 1995, the Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee marked up the EPA FY 1996 Budget. As we anticipated, the
total budget number is somewhat higher than the House budget proposal
(Senate proposes giving us $5.7 billion as compared to the House funding
level of $4.9 billion). However, the Senate level still represents a
23% cut to the EPA budget, which would result in drastic cutbacks in our
efforts to protect public health and the environment. The majority of
the cuts are in the Superfund program and in the Clean Water State
Revolving Fund. There are also deep cuts in two Presidential
Initiatives. We do not have enough detail to understand how the
general reductions in the proposal might affect our workforce.
In the case of Superfund, the Senate is recommending the same
level of funding as the House, a reduction of 36%. While the level is
the same, the way in which the cuts are distributed within the program
is very different. The Senate has removed the provision that would shut
down the Superfund Program on December 31, 1995.
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund was cut by one third ($500
million) from the President's request. This significantly impacts our
efforts aimed at helping the states address critical unsafe water
conditions. It is also contrary to addressing concerns about unfunded
mandates.
The Senate proposal also makes reductions in two Presidential
Initiatives: the Climate Change Action Plan and the Environmental
Technology Initiative (ETI). These reductions are particularly extreme.
In the case of Climate Change, the reduction is $90 million, a cut of
72%. ETI is reduced by $100 million, a cut of 83%. Both these programs
are important to the President's efforts to work with industry and other
government agencies to develop creative solutions to environmental
problems.
It is important that we all recognize that, while the Senate
number is better than the House's, it is not good enough. We also must
look forward to the next steps in the process. After Senate passage,
the Senate and House will go to conference to come up with a final bill
for submission to the President. Congressional rules dictate that the
budget number for EPA must be between the numbers proposed by the House
and Senate. As I have told the media, splitting the difference between
the House and the Senate is the name of the budget game, and in this game
the American people will be losers. Cuts of that magnitude means that
Americans will lose vital public health and environmental protections.
The full Senate Appropriations Committee will meet Wednesday
afternoon to review the proposal. I will keep you up to date on the
next set of Congressional actions as we receive information.
Carol M. Browner