[env-trinity] No fishery disaster relief funds in Congress’ $1T spending bill

[Tom Stokely]

http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20170501/no-fishery-disaster-relief-funds-in-congress-1t-spending-bill&template=printart



No fishery disaster relief funds in Congress’ $1T spending bill

Lawmakers settle on $1T plan to avoid federal government shutdown
By Andrew Taylor, The Associated PressMonday, May 1, 2017WASHINGTON >> Lawmakers on Monday unveiled a huge $1 trillion-plus spending bill that would fund most government operations through September but would deny President Donald Trump money for a border wall and rejects his proposed cuts to popular domestic programs.The bill also does not include millions in disaster relief funds for nine West Coast fisheries that fishermen and a group of 17 West Coast senators and members of Congress had hoped congressional leaders would include.“We’re definitely not holding out hope for any sort of last minute tack-on for the deal, but there is always the opportunity for Congress to appropriate separately,” Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations Executive Director Noah Oppenheim told the Times-Standard on Monday. “Although, the chances of that happening are slim to none.”
Fisheries disaster
Then-Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker declared a fisheries disasters for nine West Coast fisheries in January, including for the 2015-16 crab season in California and the 2016 salmon season for the Yurok Tribe. California 2nd District Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) was one of 17 members of Congress who drafted a bipartisan letter to congressional party leaders in early April urging that they include the disaster funds in the new spending bill. Huffman was traveling to Washington, D.C., on Monday and did not return requests for comment by the Times-Standard deadline.Oppenheim said these past poor seasons have already taken a toll on California fishing fleets, with some fishermen leaving the industry for good and others facing another dismal salmon season this year that many suspect will result in another disaster declaration. Oppenheim states disaster relief funds will help struggling fishermen, but said changes need to be made to address how quickly the funds can be made available as well as the underlying fisheries management and climate issues.“We have faith in our congressional representatives and senators, but really the institution needs to step up,” Oppenheim said. “We are big fans of Congressman Huffman and his efforts and we’re hopeful the other California members of Congress who care about fishermen in their districts and coastal communities will recognize the need to support them.”
Catchall bill
The 1,665-page bill agreed to on Sunday is the product of weeks of negotiations. It was made public in the predawn hours Monday and is tentatively scheduled for a House vote Wednesday.The catchall spending bill would be the first major piece of bipartisan legislation to advance during Trump’s short tenure in the White House. While losing on funding for the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump won a $15 billion down payment on his request to strengthen the military, though that too fell short of what he requested.Vice President Mike Pence said the administration “couldn’t be more pleased” and noted that it would include a boost in military spending, a “down payment” on border security and provide money for health benefits for coal miners.“It will avert a government shutdown but more important than that, it’s going to be a significant increase in military spending,” Pence said in an interview with “CBS This Morning.” He called it a “budget deal that’s a bipartisan win for the American people.”The measure funds the remainder of the 2017 budget year, through Sept. 30, rejecting cuts to popular domestic programs targeted by Trump such as medical research, the Environmental Protection Agency, and infrastructure grants.“The omnibus (spending bill) is in sharp contrast to President Trump’s dangerous plans to steal billions from lifesaving research, instead increasing funding for the NIH (National Institutes of Health) by $2 billion,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California.Successful votes later this week would also clear away any remaining threat of a government shutdown — at least until the Oct. 1 start of the 2018 budget year. Trump has submitted a partial 2018 budget promising a whopping $54 billion, 10 percent increase for the Pentagon from current levels, financed by cuts to foreign aid, the EPA, and other nondefense programs by an equal amount. Negotiators on the pending measure, however, rejected a smaller $18 billion package of cuts and instead slightly increased funding for domestic programs.
Reaction to bill
Democrats were quick to praise the deal.“This agreement is a good agreement for the American people, and takes the threat of a government shutdown off the table,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., a key force in the talks. “The bill ensures taxpayer dollars aren’t used to fund an ineffective border wall, excludes poison pill riders, and increases investments in programs that the middle class relies on, like medical research, education and infrastructure.”House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., praised the bill as well, saying it “acts on President Trump’s commitment to rebuild our military for the 21st century and bolster our nation’s border security to protect our homeland.”Some Republican conservatives, however, were wary. “I think you’re going to see conservatives have some real concerns with this legislation,” Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio said on CNN, citing domestic spending obtained by Democrats and other issues. “We told (voters) we were going to do a short-term spending bill that was going to come due at the end of April so that we could fight on these very issues, and now it looks like we’re not going to do that.”Trump said at nearly every campaign stop last year that Mexico would pay for the 2,000-mile border wall, a claim Mexican leaders have repeatedly rejected. The administration sought some $1.4 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars for the wall and related costs in the spending bill, but Trump later relented and said the issue could wait until September.Trump, however, obtained $1.5 billion for border security measures such as 5,000 additional detention beds, an upgrade in border infrastructure and technologies such as surveillance.The measure is assured of winning bipartisan support in votes this week; the House and Senate have until midnight Friday to pass it to avert a government shutdown. It’s unclear, however, how much support the measure will receive from GOP conservatives such as Jordan and how warmly it will be received by the White House.Times-Standard reporter Will Houston contributed to this report.
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