Oppose H. Con. Res. 95, the FY2006 budget resolution
03/16/05

U.S. House
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative:

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is the political voice of the national environmental community. Each year, LCV publishes the National Environmental Scorecard, which details the voting records of Members of Congress on environmental legislation.

LCV urges you to oppose H. Con. Res. 95, the fiscal year 2006 budget resolution. We appreciate the critical need to increase fiscal responsibility and our growing deficit. Nevertheless, Congress should pass a responsible budget that protects public health and the environment. Unfortunately, the funding levels in the budget resolution include crippling 9.1 percent cuts for environment and natural resource programs.

While we appreciate the Budget Committee’s decision to provide $500 million more for clean water infrastructure and other environmental programs in FY2006, overall, we oppose the long-term cuts to environmental programs. The budget resolution locks in crippling cuts to spending on the environment. By the final year of the committee’s five-year budget, discretionary spending on the environment and natural resources would be cut 21 percent below current activity levels.

Support the Spratt (D-SC) alternative and the Obey (D-WI) amendment. Severe budget cuts threaten a wide range of programs that ensure the health of our communities and protect our natural resources. Among the programs that could be hardest hit are clean water infrastructure investments, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, oceans and coastal protection and agricultural conservation. The Spratt alternative and the Obey amendment would restore funding for these critical priorities.

In addition, we are concerned that the budget resolution could leave the door open to attempts to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The committee’s decision to specifically exclude an assumption of revenues from drilling in the Arctic Refuge is a positive step. However, the budget’s reconciliation instructions to the Resources Committee are a loophole that the Resources Committee could exploit to add Arctic drilling to reconciliation legislation despite the express intent of the Budget Committee.

LCV opposes using the need to address our nation’s fiscal problems as cover for starving critical environmental programs while leaving larger budget problems unresolved. We urge you to oppose the FY 2006 budget resolution.

LCV's Political Advisory Committee will consider including votes on these issues in compiling LCV's 2005 Scorecard. If you need more information, please call Betsy Loyless in my office at (202) 785-8683.

 

Sincerely,

Deb Callahan
President, LCV