©2025 League of Conservation Voters
1981 Scorecard Vote
253
176
Issues
Gramm (D-TX) – Latta (R-OH) substitute to the Budget Committee’s fiscal year 1982 First Budget Target Resolution. This was the substitute supported by the Reagan Administration to set its initial budget targets and reduce non-military spending by $180 billion over several years. About $18 billion of these cuts came out of energy, environmental and natural resource programs. Ironically, some of the most extravagant pork barrel programs, like big dams and exotic nuclear technologies, were left virtually intact. Reagan was using the Congressional budget process to make the largest funding cuts for environmental programs in history.
The House Budget Committee had already adopted a very tight budget with heavy cuts for environmental agencies. But Gramm-Latta went even further, and also put back money for the most harmful programs. It reduced spending targets for solar and renewable energy from $500 million to $200 million and cut energy conservation from $600 million to $200 million. Yet Gramm-Latta increased the nuclear budget from $1.1 to $1.6 billion and added $150 million for water projects. It removed all funds for parkland acquisition, and cut the mass transit budget by almost $2 billion over 3 years.
While the First Budget Resolution did not mandate how much was to be cut from each program, it directed the 14 House committees to amend existing laws and adjust their spending levels to meet overall budget targets. The passage of Gramm-Latta demonstrated to these committees that Reagan had the votes to get the cuts he wanted, and set the stage for devastating cutbacks in the EPA and Interior budgets. Adopted 253-176 (Republicans 190-0, Democrats 62-176): May 7, 1981. NO is the pro-environmental vote.
©2025 League of Conservation Voters