Senate-House Convene Conference Committee Meeting on Funding
‘My hope is that this will be part of the bills that the President signs into law’
For the first time in nearly a decade, the Interior-Environment Appropriations bill is in a conference committee. Thursday, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a conferee, participated in a Conference Committee public meeting on H.R. 6147, the minibus appropriations bill which combines the Interior-Environment; Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (T-HUD); Agriculture; and Financial Services appropriations bills. As chairman of the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murkowski wrote that portion of the bill package.
During Senator Murkowski’s opening statement, she spoke to the significance of where Congress is in moving through appropriations bills, including the importance of completing consideration of the Fiscal Year 2019 bills, including her Interior bill.
“We have a bill that’s the result of good work and cooperation. I have long believed that Congress and the American people deserve a return to regular order for appropriations and this meeting proves that it isn’t just a lofty goal, it’s achievable and these bills are the proof. Every member of the House and Senate have had the opportunity to influence these bills and I’m proud of that,” said Senator Murkowski. “I’m particularly pleased as Chairman of the Interior appropriations that we worked through tough issues in a bicameral, bipartisan fashion. Our bill provides important funding for our public lands, environment, Indian healthcare services, and more. We address member priorities such as PILT, LWCF, and wildfire suppression. We have worked hard to balance needs across a broad range of issues.”
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Background: Senator Murkowski managed the Senate version of the funding package on the floor, which passed by a vote of 92 to 6 on August 1, 2018. The full Appropriations Committee approved the Interior-Environment bill for FY 19 through a historic, unanimous vote on June 14, 2018.
