Carol Hardy Vincent
Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill includes funding for most of the Department of the Interior (DOI) and for agencies within other departments—including the Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services. It also provides funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), arts and cultural agencies, and numerous other entities.
The President’s FY2014 discretionary appropriations request contained $30.03 billion for approximately 30 agencies and entities typically funded in the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations law. For the 10 major DOI agencies in Title I of the bill, the request was $10.83 billion, or 36% of the total. For EPA, funded by Title II of the bill, the request was $8.15 billion, or 27% of the total. For about 20 agencies and other entities typically funded in Title III of the bill, the President requested $11.04 billion, or 37% of the total.
Direct comparisons between FY2014 discretionary appropriations requested by the President and amounts appropriated for FY2013 for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies are difficult. This is primarily because complete information on FY2013 budgetary resources affected by the President’s March 1, 2013, sequester order and the effects of a 0.2% across-the-board rescission (under P.L. 113-6) is not readily available. However, the President’s FY2014 request can be compared with FY2012 enacted appropriations. The total request would be an overall increase of $803.1 million (2.7%) above the $29.23 billion appropriated for FY2012. Together, DOI agencies would increase by $534.2 million (5.2%), EPA would decrease by $296.4 million (3.5%), and related agencies would increase by $565.2 million (5.4%).
Other comparisons can be made between the President’s FY2014 request and the FY2013 appropriations excluding the sequester and the across-the-board rescission. The President’s FY2014 request was $145.0 million (0.5%) higher than the pre-sequester/pre-rescission FY2013 appropriation of $29.89 billion prior to the reductions. While it was $376.1 million (3.6%) higher for DOI agencies, it was $189.9 million (2.3%) lower for EPA, and $41.2 million (0.4%) lower for related agencies. Overall, the FY2014 request was $1.30 billion (4.1%) less than the FY2013 pre-sequester/pre-rescission appropriation of $31.33 billion, which included $1.44 billion in supplemental funding for disaster relief (P.L. 113-2). In the absence of complete information on FY2013 appropriations including the sequester and the rescission, CRS is not able to calculate the amount or percent of change under the President’s request from final FY2013 appropriations.
For DOI agencies, it is possible to compare the President’s FY2014 request with FY2013 appropriations reflecting the sequester and the across-the-board rescission. These reductions are reflected in DOI operating plans which are readily available to the public. The FY2014 request of $10.83 billion for DOI agencies would be an increase of $107.6 million (1.0%) above the FY2013 post-sequester/post-rescission level of $10.73 billion (including supplemental funding).
No bill providing regular appropriations for FY2014 for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies has been introduced in the House or Senate (as of August 1, 2013). On July 31, 2013, the House Appropriations Committee began, but did not conclude, a markup of a draft FY2014 bill. The markup focused on the draft text and accompanying draft report approved on July 23, 2013, by the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. Also, on August 1, 2013, the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies released a draft bill for FY2014 with an accompanying explanatory statement.
Date of Report: August 6, 2013
Number of Pages: 17
Order Number: R43142
Price: $29.95
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