Water Projects Funding

Senate Roll Call Vote 99

1981 Scorecard Vote

Pro-environment vote

Yes

Votes For

39

Votes Against

52

Not Voting

9

Metzenbaum (D-OH) and Heinz (R-PA) amendment to the fiscal year 1982 Budget targets to reduce funding for water projects by $300 million. In a year when an unprecedented $30 billion was cut from social programs, the Reagan Administration left the budget for water projects virtually intact, recommending only a $40 million or 2% cut in the $2.16 billion program. This amendment would have reduced the water project budget by an additional $300 million, a modest 7% reduction compared to most other budget cuts.

Many of these water projects destroy free flowing rivers, wetlands, rich farmland, and important wildlife habitat for very questionable benefits. They often cannot be justified economically except through the use of outmoded and unrealistic interest rates used for calculating their cost/benefit ratios. Often they benefit a select few at the expense of the general public. A 1981 U.S. General Accounting Office report found one project which was 94% federally financed, yet had only three users, one of them an oil company which would receive 86% of the benefits. The real cost of irrigation water is usually far more than farmers are asked to pay, and artificially low prices invite a waste we can ill afford when water tables are dropping dangerously. Rejected 39-52; May 11, 1981. YES is the pro-environment vote.

Votes

Show
Show
Export data (CSV)
  • Pro-environment vote
  • Anti-environment Vote
  • Missed Vote
  • Excused
  • Not Applicable

Vote Key

Sort by
Alabama
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Alaska
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Arizona
2024 State Scorecard Average

56%

Arkansas
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

California
2024 State Scorecard Average

99%

Colorado
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

Connecticut
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

Delaware
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

Florida
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Georgia
2024 State Scorecard Average

94%

Hawaii
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

Idaho
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Illinois
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

Indiana
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Iowa
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Kansas
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Kentucky
2024 State Scorecard Average

6%

Louisiana
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Maine
2024 State Scorecard Average

50%

Maryland
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

Massachusetts
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

Michigan
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

Minnesota
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

Mississippi
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Missouri
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Montana
2024 State Scorecard Average

29%

Nebraska
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Nevada
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

New Hampshire
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

New Jersey
2024 State Scorecard Average

88%

New Mexico
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

New York
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

North Carolina
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

North Dakota
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Ohio
2024 State Scorecard Average

25%

Oklahoma
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Oregon
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

Pennsylvania
2024 State Scorecard Average

94%

Rhode Island
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

South Carolina
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

South Dakota
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Tennessee
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Texas
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%

Utah
2024 State Scorecard Average

2%

Vermont
2024 State Scorecard Average

94%

Virginia
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

Washington
2024 State Scorecard Average

100%

West Virginia
2024 State Scorecard Average

6%

Wisconsin
2024 State Scorecard Average

50%

Wyoming
2024 State Scorecard Average

0%