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Press Release

Democrats Pass Stimulus II, Throw Millions of More Dollars at Departments and Agencies with Unspent Stimulus Funds

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 16, 2009 | Jill Strait (202-225-2761)
House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement today regarding passage of the Democrats’ Stimulus Part II:

“Once again, Speaker Pelosi, President Obama and Democrats in Congress have decided that more reckless government spending is the answer to our country’s problems. Clearly, they have not learned the lesson from the first failed $787 billion stimulus bill. Where are the jobs that were supposed to be immediately created? Since it passed, unemployment has climbed to 10 percent. And why would this stimulus be any different? Above all, we shouldn’t be sending more money to government agencies that still haven’t even spent all their funds from the first stimulus bill.

“With over 15 million Americans looking for work, we cannot afford more failed policies that stifle economic growth and increase our national debt. Republicans on the Natural Resources Committee have provided the Administration with over a dozen specific ideas on how to create new jobs and we will continue to advocate for all-of-the-above energy development that will put more Americans back to work.”

Background

According to Recovery.gov the Department of Interior was allocated $3 billion in stimulus funds but has only obligated slightly over $1 billion. U.S. Forest Service was allocated $1.15 billion but has only obligated $497 million.

Stimulus II will provide the following additional funding within these departments:

  • Bureau of Reclamation - $100 million (Received $950 million in Stimulus)
  • Bureau of Land Management - $20 million (Received $350 million in Stimulus)
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - $30 million (Received $280 million in Stimulus)
  • National Park Service - $50 million (Received $750 million in Stimulus)
  • USFS State and Private Forests - $75 million (F.S. received $1.15 billion total in Stimulus)
  • National Forest System - $40 million (F.S. received $1.15 billion total in Stimulus)
  • USDA Wildland Fire Management - $35 million (F.S. received $1.15 billion total in Stimulus)

This spending is on top of the 15% spending increase included in the FY2010 Interior Appropriations Act passed by the Congress in October 2009.

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