House Passes Interior Bill

The Interior Conference Report includes $32.2 billion, which represents a $4.7 billion increase over fiscal year 2009. It provides needed funding for the Department of the Interior, including our National Parks and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, and other related agencies. Congressman Serrano said, “All of us benefit from the funding provided to our national parks and wildlife refuges – they are places where people of all ages can enjoy natural beauty and wildlife. Our lives are also enriched by the funding for the arts and the funding provided to make sure our water is clean and safe and that climate change research is a priority. I was pleased to vote in favor of this conference report.”

With the Senate's passage of the Conference Report on Thursday night, Congress has completed work on 5 of the 12 fiscal year 2010 appropriations bills. Because there are still seven more spending bills waiting for approval, a continuing resolution was attached to this conference report to keep the government funded at the fiscal year 2009 levels through December 18, 2009. “In order to make sure that all of us will continue to receive important government services, I supported the addition of this continuing resolution,” explained Congressman Serrano.