The long-awaited Congressional Resolution funding FY 2011, its latest iteration a product of eleventh-hour haggling between party leaders, is set for votes in the House and Senate on Wednesday. If passed, the legislation stands to lessen federal regulatory burdens upon American energy producers, and preempt the implementations of harsh new ones.
The 2011 budget, which is expected to pass both chambers tomorrow, contains $38.5 billion in federal cuts. Some of these excisions have been targeted at the various environmental initiatives pushed by the Obama administration which would kill jobs, depress the economy, and heighten dependence on foreign energy. Here are some highlights:
- The Environmental Protection Agency’s budget will be cut down to $8.7 billion, a 16% decrease from last year’s. Given the EPA’s recent shenanigans, the message from Congress is clear: we’re watching you.
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will take a $140 million cut, bucking its request for a $1 billion increase. Two related provisions prevent the creation of a National Climate Service and forbid NOAA’s proposed cap-and-trade scheme for domestic fisheries.
- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will be forbidden from classifying certain areas as “wildlands,” a designation that overlaps congressionally determined “wildernesses” and quashes local energy exploration.