In Appropriations Markup, Rep. Susie Lee Secures $1 million for Boulder City Wastewater Treatment Plant, Funding to Protect Public Lands and Address Historic Nevada Drought

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Susie Lee, a member of the Appropriations Committee and a member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, voted to pass two funding bills out of the full committee that include multiple provisions pushed by Congresswoman Lee. The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies and the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bills for Fiscal Year 2022 now head to the House floor for final passage. Rep. Lee secured the inclusion of key provisions to address the historic drought and future water needs for Nevadans, including community project funding of $1 million for much-needed health and safety updates for the Boulder City Wastewater Treatment Plant.

"As a member of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over this interior funding bill, I am proud to have helped secure funds that will address the devastating impacts of climate change Nevadans are witnessing today. This bill includes funds for Nevada conservation efforts, updating wastewater facilities in Boulder City, and increasing water resilience research and programs," said Rep. Susie Lee. "I'm also proud to have voted against the global gag rule, so that international organizations receiving U.S. assistance can continue to provide reproductive health information and care."

Rep. Susie Lee helped to champion and secure the following priorities in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bill, which was advanced by the full Appropriations Committee today:

• Key funds to modernize and drive innovation for Southern Nevada's water infrastructure in the midst of historic drought including:
  • $1 million to upgrade outdated systems at the Boulder City Wastewater Treatment Plant and ensure health and safety measures for disposal
  • An increase of $2 million to fund the OpenET program, which will fill a critical data gap in water management for Western farmers, landowners, and water managers.
  • An increase of $1 million for the EPA's Water Research Grant program, which supports the science and tools necessary to develop sustainable solutions to 21^st century water resource challenges.
  • Doubled funding for the Innovative Water Technology Grant Program, which aims to support transformative water technology research.
  • An increase of $600,000 for WaterSense, a voluntary public-private partnership designed to help Americans save water and money by choosing water-efficient products and services.
• Increased funding and provisions to protect Nevada's public lands including:
  • An increase of $20.67 million for the Bureau of Land Management's Conservation System, including funds to support Southern Nevada's treasured Red Rock National Recreation Area, Sloan Canyon, and Spirit Mountain
  • Report language ensuring the protection of annual Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) funds.
• An increase of $13.5 million to accelerate the USGS 3-D Elevation Program in under-mapped Western states, which will improve applied usage in energy, geology, engineering, forestry, hydrology, land use planning, and emergency response systems.
• An increase of $10.26 million for the Federal/State Partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities.
• The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bill will also:
  • Create good-paying American jobs through investments in renewable energy development, including offshore wind, and a national initiative to reclaim abandoned mines and cap orphan oil and gas wells.
  • Confront the climate crisis by expanding environmental enforcement efforts, creating a Civilian Climate Corps, and launching a renewed focus on land and water conservation.
  • Support Native American families by investing in a strong and resilient Indian Country, including through education and health care programs.
  • Dramatically expand environmental justice efforts to address unacceptable pollution in communities of color.
  • Honor the federal government's responsibilities to Native Americans.

A summary of the fiscal year 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee funding bill is here. The text of the bill, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. The bill report, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. In keeping with the Appropriations Committee's commitment to transparency, information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.

The following amendment to the bill was adopted by the full Committee:

• Rep. Pingree – The manager's amendment makes technical and noncontroversial changes to the bill and report. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

The State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill, also advanced in today's markup in which Rep. Lee secured:

• $139.6 million, a $9.7 million increase, for the Global Environment Facility to support major international environmental conventions including biodiversity, climate change, chemicals, and desertification.
• $760 million for bilateral family planning, a $185 million increase, to ensure that women around the world have the freedom to seek uninhibited professional advice and make their own decisions about their health and body.
• $19.7 million for the East-West Center, which promotes public diplomacy and stronger relationships between the United States and nations throughout the Asia Pacific region.
• $410.5 million, a $20 million increase, for the Peace Corps to support a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.
• $300 million for the National Endowment for Democracy, the only bipartisan, non-governmental organization with the single mission of advancing democracy in the world.
• Supported the repeal of the global gag rule, a dangerous anti-abortion policy that prevents foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing information or services for legal abortion in their country.
• The State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill will also:
  • Support the world's most vulnerable with foreign assistance to meet a variety of urgent humanitarian needs.
  • Rebuild global public health infrastructure, with a dramatic increase in funding for global health security to address COVID-19 and prevent future pandemics.
  • Fund global efforts to reduce emissions, including the Green Climate Fund.
  • Advance women's rights by increasing funding for family planning, increasing United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) funding, and repealing restrictions on safe and legal abortion.
  • Promote democracy worldwide, with funding to support U.S. allies and particularly to counter growing Chinese influence.

A summary of the fiscal year 2022 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill is here. The text of the bill, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. The bill report, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here.

The following amendments to the bill were adopted by the full Committee:

• Rep. Lee (CA) – The manager's amendment makes technical and noncontroversial changes to the bill and report. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Rep. Kaptur – The amendment directs that the sanctions waiver contained in section 7503 of the Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act shall not apply in fiscal year 2022. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Rep. Diaz-Balart – The amendment requires notification by the Secretary of State upon agreement with a country to receive detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.