Good morning. I called a meeting on appropriations to order. Before we begin, house rules require me to remind you we have set up an email address to which members can send anything they wish to submit in writing at any of our hearings or markups. The email address has been provided to your staff. First, consideration of the interior environment appropriations bill, fiscal year 2021. I will now recognize ms. Mccowan to present the bill. Good morning. I want to thank Ranking Member, for his strong collaboration of partnership throughout this entire process. He has been a great partner from the great lakes and a little geography being social studies teacher, he borders with the great state of ohio, lake erie and in minnesota, we border on lake superior. Id like to thank all members of our subcommittee for all contributions and especially the way in which continue our tradition of nonpartisan work, to Work Together on issues that affect Indian Country. Im also grateful for the leadership of chairwoman and Ranking Member ranger, superior. This is chairwomans last markup and i am particularly want to extend my gratitude to her for her outstanding leadership shes provided on this committee and her understanding heritage areas in the full subcommittee for work that we do. Shes preserving our nations parks and public lands, Environmental Protections, clean air and clean water for generations to come. I wish you all the best in the years ahead and i know we all do. Fiscal year 2021, subcommittee is recommending a total of 36. 8 billion in discretionary funding, this is an increase of 771 million over last years level. In addition to our regular appropriations, the bill includes 2. 4 billion and adjusted funds for suppression operations. This brings the total funding for Fire Management to 5. 7 billion. Thank you, again for all your work on this issue. This bill includes an additional 15 million in emergency designated Infrastructure Investment for the bureau of Indian Education, Indian Health services, the Environmental Protection agency. These investments will increase access to quality healthcare, education to clean up contaminated land, would an unhealthy air. As a result the impending enactment of the Great American outdoors act in fiscal year 21, the land and Water Conservation fund will be fully funded 900 billion for the first time in 40 years. This bill allocates distribution of those funds, once the committee receives the list from agencies, which is required, we will reflect the final decisions in the enacted bill. Last year, House Democrats secured significant new investments in Environmental Protection and land conservation. For fiscal year 2021, this bill builds upon the successes and advances the priorities of american families, ensuring we have clean air and water to protect our childrens health. Protecting almost special places and endangered species by taking meaningful actions to address Climate Change. This bill is a rejection of dangerous policies and funding cuts proposed by the Trump Administration. Instead, this bill moves us forward by investing in resources in ways that keep our Community Safe and healthy. This bill invests in the protection and preservation of our landscapes and biodiversity. The covid19 pandemic is affecting our entire nation but there pronounced Racial Disparities in its impact with africanamericans, hispanic latinos, native americans, experiencing higher rates of infection and higher rates of death. Tribal communities are disproportionately feeling the effects of the endemic while our work to provide covid19 relief is ongoing, this bill invests in the health and safety and welfare of Indian Country. This bill provides 3. 5 billion to Indian Affairs bureau of Indian Education and the office of special trustee and 6. 5 billion to the Indian Health service. As a nation, we have more work to do to ensure we provide the health and Safety Education of our brothers and sisters working together on our subcommittee, this bill is another step in the right direction towards upholding federal Government Trust and treaty obligation. This bill contains 102 million for the problem of population to to thank our question colleagues for keeping the committee focused on this work. Thank you mr. Stewart. I want to know this bill provides provisions that protect our environment now and future generations. Given the circumstances, find ourselves facing with covid19 and the fact that many of these provisions passed overwhelmingly with support in the house last year, ive included them in the bill. We know how this movie ends so here are provisions included. A provision to block off the coast of florida, california and maine which passed on the house for 252 to 178, a provision to protect the pristine wilderness and a provision and the importation of sports at the elephants and lion trophies in tanzania, zimbabwe and zambia. Passed on the house floor by about 2392192. 239192. Before i conclude, id like to address the issue. Confederate flags and memorials have long been simple question and discrimination in our nation. In my first year as Ranking Member, along with chair calvert, this bill was brought down on the house floor by a Confederate Flag issue. Five years later, as chair, i continue to be savvy. And at times, outraged that we as a nation, not made more progress to address racism and to end the cruel legacy of the confederacy. I am committed to do everything i can to help our country this legacy ofal Racial Justice. Thats why in this bill, i am requiring theuage National Park service to remove all confederate commemorative works. Furthermore, this bill includes language authored by representative jeffries, that prohibits for the purchase of the display of Confederate Flags in our National Parks. With one exception. With one exception. I am a social studies teacher. That exception is in special circumstances where flags are flown to provide historical content. Think of gettysburg. This is not about erasing our history or denigrating anyone s heritage. This is about whether or not we are willing to do the hard work, needed to confront the truth of writestory and to work to past wrongs. Past wrongs. In order to do that, that means ending the use of confederate symbols which continue to be used today to intimidate and terrorize millions of our fellow americans. I hope every member of this Committee End of this body, will join me. And finally, i want to thank the staff on both sides of the aisle jocelyn hunt merchant, erickson, peter and donna. Rebecca taylor also. For all this hard work in the legislation and for the work they do together with the republican staff so we can be here today. I urge members to support this good bill. Im going to say its a great bill. Madam chair, i yield back. [applause] its clear that your statement was very much appreciated. And i want to thank you for you very kind, personal remarks for me. Thank you. Would now like to recognize the subcommittee Ranking Member mr. Joyce. Thank you, madam chair. And congratulations for completing another year of the interior environment related and appropriations bill. I want to congratulation you chairmanwoman lowey on your retirement. Thank you for your long standing dedication to this committee. Nd as always i want to thank ms. Granger for her steadfast leadership. I would like to thank you, chairman for the way youve led this subcommittee during this unprecedented year. Youve addressed the new and unique challenges caused by this deadly virus which is something we are grateful for no matter which side of the aisle we sit on. You cant to show that even when we disagree we can do so without being disagreeable. No more do we agree more on the conservation of the great lakes. Theyre the largest surface fresh water system in the world, and its crucial that we protect them to the fullest extent possible. Thats why im grateful for the great lakes initiative, continue robust investment is sential to eradicating coastline erosion. Another area where we strongly agree the Indian Country. Its a testament to you and the rest of the members that we continue our nonpartisan approach to programs for erican indians and natives which is 1 4 of the bill. Which covid19 has hit Indian Country harder than any other area of the nation. As part of the task force, i as pleased to see 3 million in a program against violence against the knave American Indian and to address violence and other Violent Crimes against indijon women. This subcommittee continues to Work Together on behalf of Indian Country. I also appreciate especially for our western members that the bill provides full funding er the payment in lieu of taxing program and continues to include significant for the wildfire suppression and hazardous fuels activities. Could be an challenging year, these funds are critical to prevent the devastation weve seen in recent years. I was also pleased to see the bill provides 55 million for the final phase of the national air and Space Museum Renovation and along with increased funding for the Technical Assistant grant. The bill provides Additional Support for the grants to work with partners to restore wetlands and other habitat. I want to thank the chair and the staff to make a sincere effort to accommodate these priorities and alongside several republican. We appreciate by our constituents regardless of party. So thank you. However, while i applaud the bipartisan prioritys that have been increased in the bill, there are several problems that will need be addressed before the bill can become law. First and foremost, this bill adds several new controversial policy writers, administrator provisions and restore directives. Theyre aimed at stopping regulatory red tape and curbing Renewable Energy. It takes a step back on conventional energy. Several provisions in this bill under mine our opportunity r ability to do so. Learned e lessons we that we cannot protect american jobs if we cannot power them. Renewable energy is not ready to carry the load on its own. There are a number of bill provisions that weve agreed in conference for the past several years that have fallen out of this draft. Adding those items back will be essential to reaching an agreement. The bill benefits from offbudget emergency funding provided in other bills. Instead of using the savings from the assumed passage from the Great Americans outdoors act, this bill reallocates those funds. And the bill includes a new title with 15 million with socalled new spending for additional infrastructure that alone does not give the federal government license to continue to borrow and spend without any overarching plan for fiscal responsibility. It is for these reasons that i can not support this bill at this time in its current form. But im committed to working with you madam chair along with chairman loy and the rest of our colleagues in this committee as we muy through the fiscal 21 process. Im hopefully be able to craft an interior bill will that will receive bipartisan support to help conserve our nations cultural, natural and Environmental Resources that we care so deeply about. And i yield back. [laughter] seems mr. Cartwright doesnt like my speech as much. Mutual admiration societies. I would now like to recognize myself for opening remarks. I thank chair mccollum, Ranking Member joyce for your work on this bill as well as the staff for your efforts to review member and craft the product before us. House democrats reject the Trump Administrations pandering to the fossil fuel industry at the expense of the environment and on public land. Instead, we will promote solutions that preserve our landscapes, protect endangered species and help prevent the worst impact of Climate Change. He fiscal year 2021 interior appropriations bill would fulfill these obligations by nvesting 9. 37 billion for e. P. A. , an increase of 318 million including an increase of 13 million for super fund. 3. 2 billion, an increase of 55 million to the National Park service and 170 million for both the National Endowments of the arts and the National Endowment for the humanities. E. P. A. s je graphic programs serve to protect the health of the American Public as well as our most important eco systems which enables both enhance, recreational and business opportunities. When i first came to congress, i promised to clean up the Long Island Sound. Im proud to have secured reck levels of funding to rehabilitate this Precious Resource in the lower hudson valley. Including 30. 4 million in this bill today for the Long Island Sound regional program. I look forward to moving this bill to the floor of the house of representatives. I urge all members to support it. And i would now light to recognize Ranking Member granger for her opening remarks. Ms. Granger. Thank you. I want to thank chairman mccollum and Ranking Member joyce for the work theyve done on many programs supported by the interior bill. This bill does many good things for the preservation of Natural Resources. In addition the bill helps local communities across the country with education and safety needs particularly in Indian Country. Even though the bill funds you many shared priorities there are several policy items that raise concern. The bill eliminates several long standing common sense provisions that have had partisan support for many years. Stead the bill adds many new directives that would limit demoastic energy and prevent the administration from reducing regulatory burdens. Additionally, im concerned about spending across all the fiscal year 2021 appropriations bill and in particular the funding levels pro posed in this bill. This bill i cludes 15 billion in new emergency spending including components of the infrastructure bill that was pushed through the house last week without republican involve. Ment. Involvement. It was a departure from years of bipartisan work on infrastructure priorities. And i cant support this additional spending today. We must find ways to reign in federal spending while addressing our nations most pressing needs. I hope we can resolve these policy and funding differences. In closing, i want to recognize all the subCommittee Members for their dedication to the important programs in the bill and the staff for their hard work. Thank you, madam chair, and i yield back. Are there any other members wishing to make general comments about the bill . Mr. Lora. Mr. Lora is recognized. Let me thank the Ranking Member kay granger as well as chair Betty Mccollum for the leadership of this subcommittee. This bill once again prioritizes Environmental Protections by making strong vestments to provide for the public land. I would like to thank the chair for the 9. 4 million increase to the Long Island SoundGeographic Program which represent as record funding level of 30. 4 million. I might add that the Long Island Sound caucus is a bipartisan effort within the congress. A Long Island Sound a National Treasure whos watershed covers five or six states. More than 25 million citizens live within the shores. To t brings 31 million the commercial and tourism and other water dependent businesses. It funds conservation, watershed management activitys that protect and restore the environmental and economically vital resources of Long Island Sound. We also say tow the chair for prioritizing additional funding of 12. 9 million to address the president presence of contamination in our commune the. These chemicals are linked to a number of health defects including growth and the development of children. This funding will support the important work of establishing standards, recontaminating Drinking Water and the cleanup being done by the Environmental Protection agency my thanks to all the participants in this bill. And i yield back. Are there any other membe