Full Title: The House Energy and Water Appropriations Bill Misses the Mark
Author(s): John Gray, Nicolas D. Loris, and Daren Bakst
Publisher(s): The Heritage Foundation
Publication Date: April 1, 2015
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
This week, the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill is likely to receive floor consideration. One of 12 appropriations bills providing discretionary funding for the federal government, this bill provides funding for projects under the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps); the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation; the Department of Energy (DOE); and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The Energy and Water development appropriations bill provides $35.4 billion in budget authority, which is an increase of 3.5 percent, $1.2 billion above the current level and $633 million below President Obama’s request. While the bill includes a number of policy riders, the increase in spending is excessive. A number of programs with poor track records or missions well beyond the scope of the federal government continue to receive funding, and some even receive increased funding. In other cases, the bill reduces spending for programs that should be eliminated.