Appropriations for FY1998 (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Dec. 24, 1997 |
| Report Number |
97-206 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Alfred R. Greenwood, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
The Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations bill includes funding for agencies and programs
in four separate federal departments as well as numerous smaller agencies and diverse programs.
On February 6, 1997, the President submitted his FY1998 budget to Congress. The FY1998
request totals $13.09 billion compared to the $13.14 billion enacted by Congress for FY1997 ( P.L.
104-208 ). It should be noted that the FY1997 amount included $715 million in nonrecurring
emergency appropriations. An additional $386 million was appropriated in the recently enacted
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill ( P.L. 105-18 ), bringing total FY1997 appropriations
to $13.5 billion.
The House Appropriations Committee reported the FY1998 Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations bill ( H.R. 2107 ) on June 26, 1997. On July 15, 1997 the House passed
the bill by a vote of 238-192 and approved $12.952 billion for FY1998. On July 22, 1997, the Senate
Appropriations Committee reported the spending bill by a vote of 28-0. On September 18, 1997, the
Senate approved $13.756 billion for FY1998 by a vote of 93-3, an increase of $803 million over the
House allowance. A House-Senate Conference met on September 30, 1997, and reached agreement
except for the issue of $700 million of funding for land acquisitions provided in the Congressional-
White House budget agreement. After extensive negotiations with the Administration on this issue,
the Conference Report ( H.Rept. 105-337 ) was filed on October 22, 1997.
The Conference agreement provides a total of $13.79 billion for FY1998. Significant increases
above the FY1997 enacted level include: $1.65 billion for the National Park Service (+ $211.1
million), $1.7 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (+ $83.7 million), $745.4 million for the Fish
and Wildlife Service (+ 74.8 million), $759.2 million for the U.S. Geological Survey (+ $19.1 million),
$1.06 billion for the Department of Energy (+ $56 million), $2.1 billion for the Indian Health Service
(+ $44.6 million), and $402.3 for the Smithsonian Institution (+ $30.9 million). Significant decreases
include: $1.14 billion for the Bureau of Land Management (- $59.7 million) and $143 million for the
Minerals Management Service (- $19.8 million). The Conference also provided $98 million for the
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), $1.5 million less than FY1997, and adopted major new
oversight reforms. The Conference also provided $699 million for a special appropriation from the
Land and Water Conservation Fund for land acquisitions to include $315 million for two projects
($250 million for the Headwaters Forest and $65 million for the Crown Butte/New World Mine),
which would be subject to appraisals and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act.
The House passed the Conference Report on October 24 by a vote of 233-171, and the Senate
passed it on October 28 by a vote of 84-14. President Clinton signed H.R. 2107 into
law ( P.L. 105-83 ) on November 14, 1998.
