News from Washington

[gkripke@Essential.ORG]

Posting from Gawain Kripke <gkripke@Essential.ORG>

In a previous email posting, Lenny mentioned that Rep. Meehan (D-MA) did
not get permission from the House Rules Committee to offer an amendment to
the Defense Bill (H.R. 1530) to restore the "fences" to the Defense
Environmental Restoration Account (DERA) account. This amendment is
important because the bill currently includes legislative language which
takes down the "fences" which restrict what DERA dollars can be spent on
(i.e. cleanup). But since the amendment was denied, Rep. Meehan will not
be able to offer it and the language will survive. 

Other proposed amendments to restore funding to Dept. of Energy cleanup
accounts were also denied by the Rules Committee.

On the good news side, a damaging amendment proposed by Rep. Molinari
(R-NY) was also denied. This amendment, apparently (I never
saw the actual language), would have lowered standards for cleanup at
closing defense facilities. 

The House will debate the Defense Bill on the floor this week.

The Senate will start its Defense Bill in late June. Hopefully the news 
will be better over there. 

Gawain Kripke
Director, Appropriations Project
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH
Internet: gkripke@essential.org