A House subcommittee this week approved a $90 billion FY 2004 spending bill that includes $8 billion for USEPA. The proposed spending level is $375 million above the amount requested by President Bush but $74 million below what was appropriated in FY 2003.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies left unchanged from FY 2003 an $850 million allocation for the Safe Drinking Water Revolving Fund, but reduced by $150 million the amount going to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).

In FY 2003 the CWSRF got $1.35 billion, but will get just $1.2 billion in the next fiscal year if the measure passes. Even so, this amount is a $350 million increase over the administration's request.

Expected to be heard July 21 by the full Appropriations Committee, the bill also includes $73 million for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank trust fund, the same amount as this year and the same as the Bush administration requested. It will also provide $1.18 billion in categorical grants to states for air, water and waste programs.

Also this week, the House Appropriations Committee approved a $27.1 billion FY 2004 energy and water funding bill that includes $11 million to initiate the administration's new Water 2025 program. Designed to prevent water supply problems in the West from reaching the crisis stage, the bill would enable the Department of Interior to develop technologies to purify wastewater, salty water and other impaired water resources.

The committee also approved a $60.5 billion bill (HR 2673) that would add to the administration's request for many conservation programs, including $11 million for watershed surveys and planning, $90 million for watershed and flood prevention operations and $40 million for watershed rehabilitation programs.

In other legislative news, Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he plans to push back the start of the August recess in order to finish work on energy legislation (S 14) if the extra time is needed. Debate on the bill is expected to resume July 28. The bill includes provisions to eliminate MTBE from the US fuel supply and to increase production and use of renewable fuel.