NANFA-- CARA passes Senate...with limits
Christopher Scharpf (ichthos_at_charm.net)
Tue, 10 Oct 2000 14:57:25 -0400
CARA PACKAGE MINUS PIECES FOLDED INTO US
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS BILL: The basic language of the bi-
partisan $3 billion/year Conservation & Reinvestment Act (CARA) from
H.R. 701has now been folded into the
Department of Interior Appropriations Bill (HR 4578). On 3 October, the
U.S. House of Representatives passed the Interior Appropriations bill by a
348-69 vote, and on 5 October the Senate approved the bill by 83-13. The
bill now goes to the President for signature, which is expected now that a
number of anti-environmental "riders" have been removed. However, some
objectionable provisions still remain. Title VIII, "Land Conservation,
Preservation and Infrastructure Improvement" contains a six-year program
that provides funds for conservation and recreation programs including many
of the elements of the more sweeping CARA legislation. However, the
funding level is only one-half of that proposed in CARA and with no
certainty of commitment to fund CARA's programs beyond six years. Also,
the Interior bill version does not guarantee any new funding for CARA's
enumerated programs. As a result, many of those programs, particularly
those that have been under funded or never funded in the past, could receive
little or no funding at all in the future. The CARA program promises several
hundred million dollars for badly needed coastal protection and restoration
programs and is supported by more than 5000 organizations. For details of
the bill and to track the appropriations process generally see the Library of
Congress THOMAS index at: http://thomas.loc.gov .
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