VA [Veterans Affairs]/HUD [Housing and Urban Development] Bill Signing
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OCR Page 1 of 16BIPARTISAN PROGRESS ON THE BUDGET: PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNS THE
VA-HUD AND ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS BILLS
October 27, 2000
Today, President Clinton will sign two appropriations bills: the veterans affairs and housing bill and the energy
and water bill. The two budget bills were negotiated on a bipartisan basis between the Clinton-Gore
Administration and Congress. By moving forward on AmeriCorps, the environment, community
empowerment, scientific research, and veterans affairs, the legislation proves that we can move forward when
we put progress over partisanship. Today, President Clinton will call on Congress to finish its work before
leaving town to campaign for reelection, including passing important AmeriCorps legislation, a fiscally
responsible budget that invests in education, and other nat onal priorities.
PRESIDENT CLINTON WILL SIGN BIPART BUDGET LEGISLATION. The new law will fund
the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Energy; the Corporation for
National Service; the Environmental Protection Agency; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
and the National Science Foundation. It will provide $XX billion for these agencies in fiscal year 2001.
Specifically, the bipartisan legislation will:
INCREASE COMMUNITY SERVICE. Today's legislation includes more than $460 million for support
national and community service, a $26 million increase. This critical funding will allow AmeriCorps to
surpass 250,000 members who have served their communities since 1994, helping to close the digital divide,
improve education, build public housing, and meet critical social and environmental needs. It would also
increase resources for the National Civilian Community Corps, allowing hundreds more NCCC members to
continue to provide the desperately needed heip communities faced with ravaging fires or devastating
floods. The bill includes $7.5 million for America's
Pic:nise-the community service initiative led by
General Colin Powell that stemmed from the Summit for America's Future-to ensure that
children grow into healthy, strong, and productive adults
INVEST IN CLEANER ENVIRONMENT. This agreement also contains increased funding for
enforcement of the nation's environmental laws and for the cleanup of polluted waterways. Before signing
the legislation, President Clinton insisted that Congress drop or fix objectionable riders that threatened our
environment. Today's legislation:
Protects the Environment. The budget provides $3.9 billion for the EPA, a 9 percent increase, to
strengthen the backbone of the nation's environmental protection efforts. In recent years, Congress's
failure to fully fund the President's budget proposals has jeopardized the EPA's ability to protect public
health and the environment. These resources will enable EPA to continue to provide American
communities with cleaner air, cleaner water, and improved quality of life.
Promotes Clean Water. The budget includes'a 14 percent increase-over $225 million-for President
Clinton's Clean Water Action Plan. Forty percent of our nation's waters don't meet water quality
standards. The EPA, Forest Service, and Department of Interior will work together to implement the
plan, which includes monitoring activities, watershed improvements, and private forest land
stewardship, reclaiming abandoned mine land, and controlling non-point source pollution.
Fights Global Warming. The budget includes $123 million, a 19 percent increase, for the EPA's
Climate Change Technology Initiative to help businesses and consumers conserve energy and save
money and reduce local air pollution and the emissions that contribute to global warming.
Restores the Florida Everglades, a National Treasure. Under President Clinton's comprehensive
strategy, this year's budget includes $118 million for the Army Corps of Engineers projects to restore
wetlands and natural waterflows in this internationally important ecosystem. This funding is the first
step to implement the President's $7.8 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, enacted last
year with unprecedented support from Congress, agricultural, community, business and environmental
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