The FY13 appropriations process picked up steam in the House of Representatives in June, as the chamber approved the Energy and Water and Department of Homeland Security spending bills.
The Energy and Water Appropriations measure (H.R. 5325) includes funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. As approved by the House, the bill would provide the Army Corps with $4.8 billion next year, slightly more than the $4.731 billion requested by President Obama, but below this year’s funding level of $5 billion. Likewise, the Bureau of Reclamation would receive $988 million; $89 million below its FY12 level and $47 million below the President’s request.
Floor debate on the bill was dominated not by discussions of funding levels, but on numerous policy-related amendments that members attempted to tack onto the legislation. For example, the bill includes GOP-backed language that would block, through the 2013 fiscal year, the Army Corps from implementing a controversial guidance that many Republicans fear would expand the jurisdiction of the federal Clean Water Act. Several House Democrats offered an amendment to strip out this language – and thus allow the guidance to proceed – but it failed on a near party-line vote of 152 to 237. A similar amendment was included in the House’s FY12 Energy and Water spending bill, but it was dropped from the final enacted legislation.
Separately, the House adopted an amendment offered by Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) that would block the Energy Department’s enforcement of federal water efficiency standards for showerheads. Rep. Schweikert said he had received complaints about the standards from a specialty showerhead manufacturer in his district, and although Democrats argued that the standards help communities conserve water and energy, the full House accepted the amendment on a voice vote.
Also winning House approval this month was the FY13 Department of Homeland Security appropriations legislation (H.R. 5855). The bill includes another one-year extension of the DHS Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, and would continue the program exemption for drinking water and wastewater facilities. If enacted, this will represent the fourth one-year CFATS extension since the program was originally scheduled to sunset in 2009.
The U.S. Senate has yet to vote on any of the twelve annual spending bills, and there is increasing speculation on Capitol Hill that Congress may not finalize any of the measures until after the November elections – well into the 2013 fiscal year.