FY 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations

Total Spending: $34.27 billion
This is a 3.1% increase over the FY 2009 regular appropriations spending level.
In FY 2009, the Energy and Water appropriations bill provided a 7.7% increase over the FY 2008 level.

The bill funds 770 earmarks, costing $976.5 million.

Dr. Coburn filed the following amendment to the legislation:


Reducing DOE Energy Usage
Amendment 1879 – To reduce the appropriation for Departmental Administration of the Department of Energy so that the Department can set an example for all Americans by reducing unnecessary energy usage

The Department of Energy is designated as the lead federal agency for energy efficiency efforts. In this role, the Department coordinates energy efficiency efforts for all federal agencies, and also it is also the primary outlet for federal energy efficiency programs and enforcement for the private sector. Despite this central role, the Department is the largest consumer of energy among all federal civilian agencies (excluding the postal service) and unlike most other agencies, has actually increased its energy usage in the most recent reporting period.

The Department of Energy’s Inspector General found at least $13.8 million in wasted energy costs due to inefficient technology and poor temperature controls at the agency. This amendment would reduce administrative funds at the Department of Energy by $13.8 million in order to encourage them to lead by example in reducing their energy usage.

Click here for additional background information. 

Competitive Bidding
Amendment 1884 – Requires all contracts, grants awarded under this act be competitively bid.
This amendment would require all contracts and grants awarded under this act to be competitively bid.

Click here for additional background information. 

Presidential Terminations
Amendment 1883 – To support the President’s effort to reduce unnecessary government spending by eliminating funding for waste water environmental infrastructure projects the Administration has proposed for termination.

President Obama has called for eliminating “Environmental Infrastructure Construction” funded by the Corps (sewage and wastewater projects). According to his calculations, eliminating these projects would result in a savings of $180 million. This amendment would support the President’s budget and his efforts to reign in government spending by eliminating funding in the bill for environmental infrastructure projects and transferring the savings to the account for Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies, which provides funds for preparedness activities for natural and other disasters, response, and emergency flood fighting and rescue operations, hurricane response, and emergency shore protection work.

Amendment 1881 - To support the President’s effort to reduce unnecessary government spending by eliminating the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center Refurbishment project, which the Administration has proposed for termination.

In his FY 2010 budget, the President proposed terminating the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center Refurbishment (LANSCE) project in New Mexico stating its mission has largely been completed, and it no longer plays a critical role in scientific research.

This amendment would support the President’s budget and his efforts to reduce federal spending and eliminate the funding for this project, which the Administration has argued “is mostly used by organizations outside of NNSA who do not pay the full costs of its operations, [and as such] Operational costs must be subsidized by the National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA).”

Amendment 1882 – To support the President’s effort to reduce unnecessary government spending by eliminating funding for low-performing Corps construction projects.

President Obama has called for eliminating “Low Performing Corps Construction Projects.” According to the Administration, eliminating these projects would result in a savings of $244 million. This amendment would support the President’s budget by reducing the Corps general construction account by $244 million in order to ensure that low-performing Corps construction projects are not funded this year.

Amendment 1880 — To support the President’s effort to reduce unnecessary government spending by reducing funding the Nuclear Power 2010 demonstration program, which the Administration has proposed for termination.

In his FY 200 budget, the President proposed terminating the Nuclear Power 2010 demonstration program, stating that the “program has largely accomplished its intended purpose to help industry overcome regulatory uncertainties,” and citing severe cost overruns. The President’s budget provides the program with $20 million “as a final contribution to this cost-shared effort with industry, which was announced in 2002.”

However, this bill funds the program at $120 million, a $100 million increase over the President’s request. This amendment would limit funding the Energy and Water appropriations bill to for the Nuclear Power 2010 demonstration program to $20 million, as requested by the President.

Public Disclosure of Reports Required in the Appropriations Bill
Amendment 1878 — To require the public disclosure of reports required in the appropriations bill

This amendment would require that any report required to be submitted by a federal agency or department to the Committee on Appropriations of either the Senate or the House of Representatives in an appropriations act be posted on the public website of that committee upon receipt by the committee.