1998- the FOURTH YEAR of

The Republican Party's

SECRET War Against the Environment

The news on Congressional votes that is

DELIBERATELY and SYSTEMATICALLY

CENSORED out of YOUR NEWSPAPER.

1. Environmental Votes in the 1998 Senate

Fellow Citizens:

1. The first vote was to postpone the environmental regulations for 30,000 mines on PUBLIC LANDS in California. and in effect delay the implementation of the rules for 18 months. An attempt by Senator Bumpers (DEMOCRAT-ARKANSAS) for an amendment to kill this rider was voted down on September 15, 1998 by a vote of 48 to 40.

In Senate Roll Call Vote 268 on S.2237, there were 58 YEAS to 40 NAYS, with 2 Senators not voting. The 58 YEAS included 46 Republicans and 12 Democrats. The 40 NAYS included 8 Republicans and 32 Democrats, with two Democrats not voting.

Of the 56 Republicans voting, 48 (86%) voted AGAINST the Bumpers Amendment, and 8 (14%) voted FOR it. Of the 44 Democrats voting, 32 (73%) voted FOR the Bumpers Amendment, and 12 (27%) voted AGAINST the Bumper Amendment.

2. The second vote was on anti-environmental rider by Senator Frank Murkowski, (R-Alaska) authorizing construction of a road through the middle of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

It was passed by Senate in Roll Call Vote 294 on Oct 1st, 1998 - S.1092, by 59 AYES to 38 NAYS, with 3 Senators not voting. The 59 YEAS included 51 Republicans and 8 Democrats. The 38 NAYS included 35 Democrats and 3 Republicans.

Of the 54 Republicans voting, 51 (94%) voted FOR the road and 3 (6%) voted AGAINST. Of the 43 Democrats voting, 35 (81%) voted AGAINST the road, and 8 (19%) voted FOR it.

3. Delay in Reducing Pesticide Use in Children's Products. Passed by Senate July 17, 1998 S.2168 -VA- HUD Appropriations.

4. Murkowski (R-AK) amendment for Native Allotments in Conservation Areas. Passed by Senate July 17, 1998. S2168.

5. Blocking Action to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Pollution, Passed by Senate July 17, 1998, S2168.

6. Ban on Use of Funds for Brownfields Revolving Loan Funds. Passed by Senate July 17, 1998, S2168.

7. Limitation on Using Funds from Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Settlement to Purchase Habitat in Spill-affected Area. This rider limited the use of funds from the Exxon Valdez oil spill settlement to support only marine research and economic restoration projects for the fishing industry and local fishermen. Passed by the Senate on July 23, 1998, S.2260 Appropriations for Departments of Commerce, Justice,

8. Unnecessary Alaska Access - Funding a $700,000 study of "rural access" in Alaska. Passed by the Senate on July 24, 1998, S.2307 - Department of Transportation Appropriations.

9. Rider by Senator Burns (R-MT) to delay compliance with Federal Safety Regulations for Transport of Hazardous Materials. Passed by the Senate on July 24, 1998, S.2307.

10. Expansion of Highway 93 Through the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. Language in the Senate Committee Report overturned a 1996 decision by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to defer a proposal to widen Highway 93 in Western Montana. Passed by Senate on July 24, 1998, S2307.

11. Helicopters in Wilderness. Passed by the Senate on July 24, 1998, S. 2307.

2. Environmental Votes in the 1998 Senate, continued

Fellow Citizens:

12. To waive Environmental Review for Grazing Permits. ( Senator Durbin (D-IL) continues to try to stop this legislative end-run in both 1999 and now 2000.)

13. To interfere with Land Acquisition in Alaska - Denali National Park and Lake Clark National Park areas. (Senators Murkowski or Stevens or Representative Young?)

14. Trees for Stewardship Exchange - harmful commercial logging under the guise of stewardship.

15. Snow Basin Road Subsidized by Taxpayers. This rider authorized $13.9 million to build a three-mile road from Trappers Loop Highway up to Snow Basin Ski Area in northern Utah. In 1996, a rider on a parks bill enabled a developer to acquire National Forest land through a land exchange in order to develop a ski resort. This rider increases the developer's windfall by allocating federal funds to pay for an access road.

16. Subsidized Logging of Red Cedar in Alaska. This rider helped maintain the Tongass National Forest as the biggest money loser in the National Forest system by requiring that all timber sold in Region 10 (Alaska) utilize the antiquated residual value appraisal system. (Senators Murkowski or Stevens or Representative Young?)

17. To restrict the improvement of Salmon Habitat in Columbia and Snake Rivers.

18. To provide rent subsidies in Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest

19. To stop or impede the removal of the Elwha River Dam which would improve the habitat and spawning of Salmon.

20. To promote the Commercialization of the Land Between the Lake Hardwood Forest in Kentucky and Tennessee.

21. To override provisions of the Denali National Park and Preserve Environmental Impact Statement. The rider directs the National Park Service to maintain gravel airstrip at the entrance to the park for general aviation and commercial uses, and erroneously states that this strip is the only access point for visitors choosing to fly to the park. This is not true. (Senators Murkowski or Stevens or Representative Young?)

22. To prevent the National Park Service from phasing out commericial fishing designed to protect wildlife in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. (See the Murkowski (R-AK) amendment of 1999.)

23. To require the U.S. Forest Service to offer for sale from the Tongass National Forest in Alaska at least 90 percent of the allowable sale quantity (240 million board feet) of timber per year. If the Forest Service fails to meet the target, because of environmental or market constraints, the rider allows parties to sue the Forest Service to produce more timber and to require the agency to pay local communities 25 percent of the value of the timber not harvested. This doubled the current rate of logging. (Senators Murkowski or Stevens or Representative Young?)

24. To terminate an ongoing public process of recovery of the grizzly bear in the Selway-Bitterroot wilderness in Idaho and Montana.

25. To prevent the U.S. Forest Service from removing dangerous and environmentally damaging roads until all unauthorized "ghost" roads (roads that were created by illegal off-road vehicle use) had been closed or upgraded. Most of the roads are logging roads built for heavy trucks, many of which are now causing mudslides and fragmentation.

26. To prevent the Forest Service from using prescribed fire to remove brush until all commercial timber has been cut from the area.

27. To override the Endangered Species Act by requiring Congressional approval for changes to the operation of Columbia River reservoirs. This rider would interfere with the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project (ICBEMP), a multi-agency planning process, affecting 71 million acres of public land in the Interior West. The rider keeps ICBEMP from making any decisions itself, while simultaneously undermining the Endangered Species Act if the Project's work is incorporated into individual land management plans. This measure passed in the House on July 23, 1998

28. To prevent the Forest Service from updating plans to manage national forests.

29. To shift Forest Service emphasis in administering the Wilderness Act of 1964 away from the quality of solitude in wilderness areas to one focused on human activity and recreational use. It seeks to abolish regulations which set limits on the number of people in designated wilderness areas

30. To block the Interior Department from getting more money from the oil companies drilling off the coast of the state of California. Allows oil and gas industry to dodge $86 million in oil royalties to the U.S. government. (Probably Senator Hutchinson of Texas.)

3. Environmental Votes in the 1998 House: Appropriations for the Department of the Interior

Fellow Citizens:

In the House, the Final Passage of the Act was in Roll Call Vote 331 on July 23, 1998 when the bill was approved on a vote of 245 YEAS to 181 NAYS. The NAY vote was pro-environment. The 245 YEAS were 207R, 38D. The 181 NAYS were 18 Republicans, 162 Democrats, 1 Independent, with 8 Representatives not voting.

Of the 225 Republicans voting, 207 (92%) voted FOR and 18 (8%) voted AGAINST the final passage of HR.4193, of the 200 Democrats voting, 162 (81%) voted AGAINST HR.4193 and 38 (19%) voted for it.

The final vote on HR.4193 was preceded by votes on five major Democratic amendments, four of which failed.

1. Roll Call 329 Miller (D-CA) FAILED 186 to 237 - roads in Tongass National Forest.

2. RC 328 Hinchey (D-NY) FAILED 176 to 249 - roads in Chugach National Forest.

3. RC 327 McDermott (D-WA) FAILED 202 to 221 - to save ICBEMP.

4. RC 320 Miller (D-CA) PASSED 236 to 182 - prevented transfer of tree planting funds.

5. RC 313 Skaggs (D-CO) FAILED 212 to 213 - energy conservation measures.

1. Representative Miller (D-CA) proposed an amendment to prohibit any funds to construct any road in the Tongass National Forest.

In Roll Call Vote 329 on July 23, 1998, the amendment lost 186 AYES to 237 NAYS. The AYE vote was pro-environment. The AYES were 186 (16R, 169D, 1 I). The NAYS were 227 (206R, 31D) 1 Representative voted Present, and 10 Representatives did not vote.

Of the 222 Republicans voting, 206 (93%) voted FOR and 16 (7%) voted AGAINST roads in the Tongass; of the 200 Democrats voting, 169 (85%) voted AGAINST, and 31 (15%) FOR roads in the Tongass.

2. The Chugach Road rider granted a particularly destructive road construction easement through the northern section of the Chugach National Forest in Alaska, across the Copper River Delta in Alaska. Rep.Hinchey (D-NY) attempted to kill the rider with his amendment which failed on a floor vote. The rider was in the final bill passed by House on July 23, 1998.

In Roll Call Vote 328 on July 23, 1998, there were 176 AYES to 249 NAYS, and the amendment failed. The AYE vote was pro-environment. The AYES were 176 (35R, 140D, 1 I) NAYS were (191R, 58D) with 9 Representatives not voting.

Of the 226 Republicans voting, 191 (85%) voted FOR the Chugach Road and 35 (15%) voted AGAINST it. Of the 198 Democrats, 140 (71%) voted AGAINST the Chugach Road and 58 (29%) voted FOR it.

3. The ICBEMP is the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Plan. A rider in HR.4193 effectively stopped the ecosystem management plan by preventing a final decision on the ICBEMP Final Environmental Impact Statement. Representative McDermott (D-WA) attempted to kill the rider with his amendment which failed on a floor vote on July 23 1998. The rider was in the final bill passed by the House on July 23, 1998.

In Roll Call Vote 327 on July 23, 1998, there were 202 AYES to 221 NAYS. The amendment failed. The AYE vote was pro-environment. AYES were 202 (15R, 186D, 1 I ). The NAYS were (208R, 13D) .

Of the 223 Republicans voting, 208 (93%) voted AGAINST the ICBEMP, and 15 (7%) voted FOR it. Of the 199 Democrats voting, 186 (93%) voted FOR the ICBEMP and 13 (7%) voted AGAINST it.

4. For years, funds set aside for tree planting have been authorized under the Knutson-Vandenburg Act. A rider to HR.4193 would allow up to 25% of the money set aside for tree planting to be used for Forest Service administrative costs. Representative Miller's amendment killed the rider.

In Roll Call Vote 320 on July 22, 1998, there 236 AYES to 182 NAYS. The AYE vote was pro-environment. The AYES were 236 (58R, 177D 1I). The NAYS were 182 (163R, 19D), with 16 Representatives not voting.

Of the 221 Republicans voting, 163 (74%) voted AGAINST killing the rider and 58 (26%) voted FOR killing it. Of the 196 Democrats, 177 (90%) voted FOR killing the rider against tree-planting and 19 (10%) voted AGAINST killing the rider.

5. Representative Skaggs (D-CO) introduced an amendment to increase funding for energy conservation funding by $40 million with $16 million for weatherization assistance grants, $4 million for State energy conservation grants, $10 million for building technology programs, $5 million for industry programs, and $5 million for transportation programs.

In Roll Call Vote 313 on July 21, 1998, the amendment lost by a vote of 212 AYES to 213 NAYS. The AYE was the pro-environment vote. The AYES were 212 (59R, 152D, 1 I) to 213 NAYS (166R, 47D), with 9 Representatives not voting.

Of the 225 Republicans voting, 166 (74%) voted AGAINST the amendment, and 59 (26%) voted FOR it. Of the 199 Democrats voting, 166 (83%) voted FOR the amendment and 47 (17%) voted AGAINST it.

HR.4193, as passed by the House, also contained three other anti-environmental measures. The first was on a " Forest Health Fund." This provision allowed the ten percent roads and trails fund to be used to "improve forest health conditions." Since there are no restrictions limiting the use to non-commercial activities, and logging is considered a "forest health" activity by the Forest Service, this fund is likely to be used to fund timber sales,under the rider, rather than for needed repair of priority recreational trials.

The second had to do with Removing Coastal Barrier Areas from Protection. This rider removed several Florida land parcels from the Coastal Barrier system, despite the recent decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that implementation of the deletions is invalid.

The third anti-environmental measure was on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road. This rider forced the National Park Service to keep the Newfound Gap road open year-round, 24-hours/day in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cost: $300,000 a year.

4. Environmental Votes in the 1998 House: Appropriations for VA, HUD and Other Agencies

Fellow Citizens:

The second piece of anti-environmental language in the appropriations bills prevents the EPA from regulating emissions of mercury pollution from power plants. Mercury is a known toxic pollutant of special concern to pregnant women. Yet, despite these substantial threats for mercury, the appropriations bill blocked and will block any regulatory determinations regarding mercury air emissions from power plants for years to come.

A third piece of anti-environmental language delays the implementation of pesticide safety laws which were intended to lower the level of pesticides in our food and the food eaten by our children. A fourth anti-environmental measure prevents adequate cleanup of old nuclear facilities, and a fifth interferes with efforts to control air pollution in our national parks. A sixth measure interferes with EPA Efforts to Cleanup Superfund sites and a seventh measure provides for "peer review" of EPA regulations by the very industries being regulated.

Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) introduced an Amendment that would strip the language of all of these anti-environment measures out of the pertinent sections of the FY1999 appropriations. In Roll Call Vote 334 on July 23, 1998, the Waxman Amendment lost on a vote of 176 AYES to 243 NAYS. The AYE was the pro-environment vote. The 176 AYES were 27R, 148D, 1 I. The 243 NAYS were 196R, 47D, with 16 Representatives not voting.

Of the 223 Republicans voting, 196 (88%) voted AGAINST and 27 (12%) voted FOR the Waxman Amendment. Of the 195 Democrats voting, 148 (76%) voted FOR the Waxman Amendment, and 47 (24%) voted AGAINST the Waxman Amendment.

HR. 4194 also contained a rider banning the education of the public on Global Warning. Rep. Obey (D-WI) proposed an amendment on July 23, 1998, removing the language of this rider.

In Roll Call Vote 332 on July 23, 1998, the Obey amendment passed on a vote of 226 AYES to 198 NAYS. The AYE vote was pro-environment. The AYES were 226 (50R, 175D, 1I). The NAYS were 198 (175R, 23D), with 10 Representatives not voting.

Of the 225 Republicans voting, 175 (78%) voted to MAINTAIN the ban on educating the public, 50 (22%) voted to REMOVE the language. Of the 198 Democrats voting, 175 (88%) voted to REMOVE the language, and 23 (12%) voted to MAINTAIN the ban.

In a final attempt to change the bill, there was a motion to recommit HR.4194 with instructions to change certain provisions. In Roll Call Vote 351 on July 29th 1998 , the motion lost on a vote of 164 AYES to 261 NAYS. The AYE vote was pro-environment. The 164 AYES were 4R, 159D, 1I. The 261 NAYS were 221 R, 40D, 9 Representatives not voting.

Of the 225 Republicans voting, 221 (98%) voted AGAINST and 4 (2%) FOR the motion; of the 199 Democrats voting, 159 (80%) voted FOR the motion to recommit, and 40 (20%) voted AGAINST the motion.

HR.4194 was approved in Roll Call Vote 352 on July 29, 1998 with a vote of 259 YEAS to 164 NAYS. The NAY was the pro-environment vote. The 259 YEAS were 205R, 54D. The 164 NAYS were 18R, 145D, 1I.

Of the 223 Republicans voting, 205 (92%) voted FOR final passage, and 18 (8%) voted AGAINST; of the 199 Democrats voting, 145 (73%) voted AGAINST the bill and 54 (27%) voted for it.

The final version of HR.4194 also included a rider by Rep. Knollenberg (R-MI) Blocking Action to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Pollution, and a rider by Rep. Neumann (R-WI) Blocking Research to Reduce Methane Gas Releases from Farm Animal Operations.

5. Environmental Votes in the 1998 House: Appropriations for the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies

Fellow Citizens:

Although you would not have known it from your newspapers, July 1998 was a very big month in the Republican War Against the Environment. In the House of Representatives the Republicans were able to beat back the pro-environment forces in a series of battles over the anti-environmental provisions in the Appropriations for the Interior Department that ended on July 23rd. The Republicans were also successful in doing this in the simultaneous battles over the anti-environment provisions in the Appropriations for the VA, HUD and related agencies that ended on July 29th. Worn out by these losing fights, the Democrats evidently conceded victory to the Republicans when it came to HR.4328, the FY1999 Appropriations for the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies. HR.4328 contained FOUR anti-environmental provisions that had been added to the appropriations act by a rider or an amendment, and which were included in the final bill.

One anti-environmental measure was on the Foothill South Toll Road in California. The final bill included a rider by Rep. Ron Packard (R-CA) expediting construction of a new (privately-funded? ) highway through park land in Southern California. This particular rider set a dangerous precedent by hindering the EPA's efforts to assess and mitigate environmental impacts as required by the National Environmental Policy Act.

A second anti-environmental measure was a continuation of the freeze on existing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. The final bill included an amendment by Rep. Wolf (R - VA) which continued the 1995 Representative Delay ban on the Department of Transportation updating CAFE standards.

The third anti-environment measure was on the Relaxation of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Restrictions on New Jersey Highways. A fourth provision in the House bill allowed federal funds set aside to reduce air pollution to be used instead to subsidize single-occupancy vehicles.

In addition to these anti-environmental provisions, HR.4328 also contained funding for a number of transportation projects in virtually every Congressional district. HR.4328 was approved by Roll Call Vote 355 on July 30, 1998 by a vote of 391 AYES to 25 NAYS.