The proposed cuts will significantly affect the country’s clean technology and environmental projects with the largest coming from clean energy initiatives, such as $899 million in funds from energy efficiency and renewable energy; $1 billion from high-speed rail; $1.4 billion from the Department of Energy’s Loan Guarantee Authority; and $1.6 billion from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Senate will craft a different bill that will reduce only $41 billion in the 2011 budget as a means to buy time in order for the two houses of Congress to sit down and agree on an economically-equitable legislation that will lessen spending and at the same time make the necessary funding for agencies.
“Speaker [John] Boehner should stop drawing lines in the sand, and come to the table to find a responsible path forward that cuts government spending while keeping our communities safe and our economy growing. To avoid a shutdown and give us time to negotiate a responsible path forward, I have asked Sen. [Daniel] Inouye, chairman of the Senate appropriations committee, to prepare a clean continuing resolution that I can bring to the floor next week,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Reid said the continuing resolution will provide funding for vital services like Social Security, the military, and border security.
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“This bill will include the $41 billion in budget cuts that Democrats and Republicans agreed to in December, and will keep the government running for 30 days while both sides can negotiate a common-sense, long-term solution,” he added.
Mr. Reid said he had already made arrangements with Mr. Boehner to craft a long-term continuing resolution that cuts waste and excess, while protecting the investments needed to ensure economic growth.
Mr. Boehner, in a statement, said the House is amenable to a short-term bill to fuel spending until the new fiscal year comes in October.
“The House has passed legislation to keep the government running until October while cutting spending. If Senator Reid refuses to bring it to a vote, then the House will pass a short-term bill to keep the government running – one that also cuts spending,” he said.
The $100-billion budget slash continuing resolution was passed at the House of Representatives and was transmitted to the Senate last week.
Also reduced in the House bill are the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star by $7.4 million; the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Registry by $9 million; the Cap and Trade Technical Assistance by $5 million; electricity delivery and reliability funds by $49 million; and clean coal technology funds by $18 million.
