Date: 1995-07-11
Speaker: TOM BEVILL (democrat)
Chamber: H

for continuing their longstanding tradition of bringing forward a bipartisan. fiscally responsible bill. Theyve been working together on this committee for many years. This bill is $1.6 billion lower than the fiscal year 1995 level. and the committee has done an outstanding job in making these limited funds go a long way. H.R. 1905 makes appropriations for the Corps of Engineers. the Bureau of Reclamation. the Department of Energy. and. various independent agencies. I am particularly pleased that funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Tennessee Valley Authority has been included in this bill. Although both received sizable reductions. the committee recognized the valuable contributions they make to recipient States. The Appalachian Regional Commission is regional economic development agency established 30 years ago to bring almost 400 counties in the 13 Appalachian States into the mainstream of the American economy. ARCs mission is to equip Appalachian citizens with the skills and enterprise development resources they need to create selfsustaining local economies where people take control -over their own economic destiny and contribute as taxpayers to the national economy. Over the years. as a result of ARC programs. the regional poverty rate has been cut in half. the percentage of adults with a high school education has doubled. and the regions infant mortality rate has been cut by twothirds. But much more remains to be done. and the funding provided in this bill will enable the ARC to continue its mission. Mr. Speaker. of equal importance is the continued funding for the Tennessee Valley Authority. There seems to be some confusion and misinformation about the use of Federal dollars for TVA. and I want to emphasize that no Federal money goes toward subsidizing the electric power program. This program is entirely funded through power sales and the issuance of securities. and there is no Federal subsidy for the consumer. Federal dollars are used specifically for maintenance of the TennepseeRiver System and stewardship of the Federal lands under TVAs control. This is comparable to the functions provided by the Corps of Engineers in other areas. Federal dollars also go toward a variety of targeted economic development programs. And to the LandBetweentheLakes. a Federal recreation area in Tennessee and Kentucky. which is the largest contiguous forest east of the Mississippi River. These are important services mandated by statute. and we have an obligation to continue to provide funding. Mr. Speaker. this open rule will allow all Members to fully participate in the amendment process. and I urge its adoption. Mr.. Speaker. alluding further to the Federal funding. for the TVA. already the committee has recommended a $42 million cut in the program. This is only $19 million for economic development. and the balance in the bill goes for operation of the dams. the tributaries of the Tennessee River. and the streams that flow into the river to prevent flood control. As I said. such other functions in other States are controlled by the Corps of Engineers and federally funded. I understand there may be an amendment offered to eliminate these funds. I want to caution the proponents of TVA that this is an amendment that we must watch. that we must defeat when and if it is presented. because the purpose of the amendment is flawed in its inception. and we must watch carefully to ensure that the TVA is not scuttled from the program mandatedby the Congress. So I urge Members to be aware that the Federal Government provides funding for the programs of maintenance of flood control and operation of other dams and that this is a program that the Federal Government should continue. So. being alerted to that end. I urge the membership to be on the floor if such an amendment is offered. and to vote against it.