The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

September 25, 2009

Congress votes: National Parks spending

Republicans call for reducing backlog

SENATE



NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM: Voting 79 for and 19 against, the Senate on Sept. 24 tabled (killed) an amendment to shift $420 million in the 2010 Interior Department budget (HR 2996) from land acquisition to maintenance in the National Park System. The $32.2 billion appropriations bill was later sent to conference with the House.



Tabling supporter Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said national parks maintenance was amply funded in the 2009 economic stimulus bill.



Amendment sponsor Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said the park system has an $11 billion maintenance backlog "that ought to be a priority before we add one more acre to 650 million acres we already own."



A yes vote was to kill the amendment.





MINNESOTA Voting yes: Al Franken, D, Amy

Klobuchar, D



Voting no: None









OFFSHORE DRILLING: Voting 56 for and 42 against, the Senate on Sept. 23 tabled (killed) a Republican bid to speed implementation of a new law to expand offshore oil and gas drilling. Although approved last year, the new drilling cannot begin until 2012 for contractual reasons. In part, the expansion authorizes Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) drilling 100 miles off the Atlantic and Pacific shorelines and beyond. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar rejected a Bush- administration drilling plan and ordered a slower pace for planning the new drilling. This vote occurred during debate on HR 2996 (above).



Salazar said on Feb. 10: "We must establish an orderly process that allows us to make wise decisions based on sound information. Therefore, we need to set aside the Bush administration's midnight timetable for its Outer Continental Shelf drilling plan and create our own timeline."



David Vitter, R-La., said the American people "got dramatic action" when Congress partially lifted a moratorium on offshore drilling. "The problem is, the new administration and the new secretary of the Interior are simply saying: `We are not in any hurry to get there.'"



A yes vote was to kill the GOP motion.

MINNESOTA Voting yes: Franken, Klobuchar



Copyright 2009, Thomas Voting Reports, Inc.





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