11.07.03
House-Senate Conference Committee Approves FY 2004 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill

Washington, D.C. – A Conference of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees has approved a $27.33 billion fiscal year 2004 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. The reconciled bill now goes to the House and Senate floors for consideration and final passage. Text of the conference report and the accompanying statement of the managers will soon be available on Thomas.loc.gov, and highlights of the bill are below:

Noteworthy:

The Conference Report exceeds the president’s request by $381.8 million.

The Conference Report exceeds the FY 2003 level by $1.13 billion.

Highlights from the Conference Report:

Army Corps of Engineers

• The Conference Report provides $4.57 billion, which is $377.4 million above the president’s request and $127.4 million below the FY03 level.
  

• The Conference Report provides $986.5 million, which is $64.3 million above the president’s request and $14.2 million above the FY03 level.
  

• The Conference Report provides $22.043 billion, which is $119.6 million below the president’s request and $1.21 billion over the FY03 level.
  

• The Conference Report provides $6.27 billion for NNSA Weapons Activities (Stockpile Stewardship), which is $105.5 million below the president’s request and $291.1 million over the FY03 level.
  
  
• The Conference Report provides $1.33 billion for NNSA Nonproliferation activities, which is $12.5 million below the president’s request and $306.7 million above the FY03 level.
  
  
• The Conference Report provides $6.6 billion for Environmental Clean-up, which is $182.9 million below the president’s request and $96.2 million below the FY03 level.
  
  
• The Conference Report provides $580 million for Nuclear Waste Disposal (Yucca Mountain), which is $11 million below the president’s request and $123 above the FY03 level.
  
  
• The Conference Report provides $426 million for Renewable Energy R&D, which is $17.4 million below the president’s request and $7 million below the FY03 level.
  
  
• The Conference Report provides $413.1 million fro Nuclear Energy R&D, which is $135 million above the president’s request and $147 million above the FY03 level.
  
  
• Science Research: The Conference Report provides $3.45 billion in basic scientific research, which is $140.8 million above the president’s budget request and $180 million above the FY03 level.

Independent Agencies

• The Conference Report provides $55 million for the Denali Commission, an increase of $45.5 million over the president’s request and $7.3 million over the FY03 level.
  
  
• The Conference Report provides $66 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission, an increase of $32.9 million over the president’s request, but $4.8 million below the FY03 level.
  
  
• The Conference Report provides $5 million for the Delta Regional Authority, an increase of $3 million over the president’s request and $2.9 million below the FY03 level.
  
  
• The Conference Report provides a total budget of $619 million for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.