THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
__________________
For Immediate Release October 7,
2000
TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
I am returning herewith without my approval, H.R. 4733, the "Energy
and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2001." The bill contains an
unacceptable rider regarding the Army Corps of Engineers' master operating
manual for the Missouri River. In addition, it fails to provide funding
for the California-Bay Delta initiative and includes nearly $700 million
for over 300 unrequested projects.
Section 103 would prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from revising
the operating manual for the Missouri River that is 40 years old and needs
to be updated based on the most recent scientific information. In its
current form, the manual simply does not provide an appropriate balance
among the competing interests, both commercial and recreational, of the
many people who seek to use this great American river. The bill would also
under-mine implementation of the Endangered Species Act by preventing the
Corps of Engineers from funding reasonable and much-needed changes to the
operating manual for the Missouri River. The Corps and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service are entering a critical phase in their Section 7
consultation on the effects of reservoir project operations. This
provision could prevent the Corps from carrying out a necessary element of
any reason-able and prudent alternative to avoid jeopardizing the continued
existence of the endangered least tern and pallid sturgeon, and the
threatened piping plover.
In addition to the objectionable restriction placed upon the Corps of
Engineers, the bill fails to provide funding for the California-Bay Delta
initiative. This decision could signifi-cantly hamper ongoing Federal and
State efforts to restore this ecosystem, protect the drinking water of 22
million Californians, and enhance water supply and reliability for over 7
million acres of highly productive farmland and growing urban areas across
California. The $60 million budget request, all of which would be used to
support activities that can be carried out using existing authorities, is
the minimum necessary to ensure adequate Federal participation in these
initiatives, which are essential to reducing existing conflicts among water
users in California. This funding should be provided without legislative
restrictions undermining key environmental statutes or disrupting the
balanced approach to meeting the needs of water users and the environment
that has been carefully developed through almost 6 years of work with the
State of California and interested stakeholders.
The bill also fails to provide sufficient funding necessary to restore
endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest, which would interfere with the
Corps of Engineers' ability to comply with the Endangered Species Act, and
provides no funds to start the new construction project requested for the
Florida Everglades. The bill also fails to fund the Challenge 21 program
for environmentally friendly flood damage reduction projects, the program
to modernize Corps recreation facili-ties, and construction of an emergency
outlet at Devil's Lake. In addition, it does not fully support efforts to
research and develop nonpolluting, domestic sources of energy through solar
and renewable technologies that are vital to America?s energy security.
Finally, the bill provides nearly $700 million for over 300
unrequested projects, including: nearly 80 unrequested projects totaling
more than $330 million for the Department of Energy; nearly 240 unrequested
projects totaling over $300 million for the Corps of Engineers; and, more
than 10 unrequested projects totaling in excess of $10 million for the
Bureau of Reclamation. For example, more than 80 unrequested Corps of
Engineers con-struction projects included in the bill would have a long-
term cost of nearly $2.7 billion. These unrequested projects and earmarks
come at the expense of other initiatives important to taxpaying Americans.
The American people deserve Government spending based upon a balanced
approach that maintains fiscal discipline, eliminates the national debt,
extends the solvency of Social Security and Medicare, provides for an
appropriately sized tax cut, establishes a new voluntary Medicare
prescription drug benefit in the context of broader reforms, expands health
care coverage to more families, and funds critical investments for our
future. I urge the Congress to work expeditiously to develop a bill that
addresses the needs of the Nation.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,
October 7, 2000.
# # #
Message Sent
To:_____________________________________________________________
Alexander N. Gertsen/WHO/EOP@EOP
Carolyn E. Cleveland/WHO/EOP@EOP
Lauren A. Skryzowski/WHO/EOP@EOP
Wanda M. Evans/WHO/EOP@EOP
Michael J. Sullivan/WHO/EOP@EOP
William T. Glunz/WHO/EOP@EOP
Christine L. Anderson/WHO/EOP@EOP
Sean P. Maloney/WHO/EOP@EOP
Edwin R. Thomas III/WHO/EOP@EOP
G. Timothy Saunders/WHO/EOP@EOP
Sherman A. Williams/WHO/EOP@EOP
Lisel Loy/WHO/EOP@EOP
David E. Kalbaugh/WHO/EOP@EOP
Melissa G. Green/OPD/EOP@EOP
Natalie S. Wozniak/NSC/EOP@EOP
Sarah Wilson/WHO/EOP@EOP
Jane T. Schaffner/WHO/EOP@EOP
Patrick M. Dorton/OPD/EOP@EOP
Elliot J. Diringer/CEQ/EOP@EOP
Anna Richter/OPD/EOP@EOP
Devorah R. Adler/OPD/EOP@EOP
Christopher C. Jennings/OPD/EOP@EOP
Jane T. Schaffner/WHO/EOP@EOP
James E. Kennedy/WHO/EOP@EOP
Sonya N. Hebert/WHO/EOP@EOP
Message Copied
To:_____________________________________________________________
Thomas D. Janenda/WHO/EOP@EOP
Stephanie A. Cutter/WHO/EOP@EOP
Loretta M. Ucelli/WHO/EOP@EOP
Erika A. Batcheller/WHO/EOP@EOP
Pamela P. Carpenter/WHO/EOP@EOP
Christine L. Anderson/WHO/EOP@EOP
Cheri L. Stockham/WHO/EOP@EOP
Nanda Chitre/WHO/EOP@EOP
Jason H. Schechter/WHO/EOP@EOP
Richard L. Siewert/WHO/EOP@EOP
Megan C. Moloney/WHO/EOP@EOP
Victoria L. Valentine/WHO/EOP@EOP
Anne M. Edwards/WHO/EOP@EOP
Karen C. Burchard/WHO/EOP@EOP
Mark A. Kitchens/WHO/EOP@EOP
Jenni R. Engebretsen/WHO/EOP@EOP
Lisa Ferdinando/WHO/EOP@EOP
Stephen N. Boyd/WHO/EOP@EOP
Gilbert S. Gonzalez/WHO/EOP@EOP
James E. Kennedy/WHO/EOP@EOP
Joel Johnson/WHO/EOP@EOP
Margaret M. Suntum/WHO/EOP@EOP
Ellen E. Olcott/WHO/EOP@EOP
Mark C. Sheppard/WHO/EOP@EOP
Pamela P. Carpenter/WHO/EOP@EOP
Joshua S. Gottheimer/WHO/EOP@EOP
Patrick E. Briggs/WHO/EOP@EOP
Denver R. Peacock/WHO/EOP@EOP
Susan L. Hazard/WHO/EOP@EOP
Key C. German/WHO/EOP@EOP
Michael A. Hammer/NSC/EOP@EOP
Natalie S. Wozniak/NSC/EOP@EOP
Sharon Farmer/WHO/EOP@EOP
Ralph Alswang/WHO/EOP@EOP
Craig A. Minassian/WHO/EOP@EOP
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