|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE: A BUDGET FOR STRONGER | | COMMUNITIES, A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT, INVESTMENTS IN SCIENCE, AND MEETING | | OUR COMMITMENT TO VETERANS | | October 27, 2000 | | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| Today, the President signed two appropriations bills -- the veterans affairs and housing bill and the energy and water bill -- that prove that we can move forward by putting progress over partisanship. The new law will provide $106 billion in fiscal year 2001 for the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Energy and independent agencies, including the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Specifically, the legislation will: ? INCREASE COMMUNITY SERVICE. Today?s legislation includes more than $460 million for national and community service, a $26 million increase. It will allow AmeriCorps to surpass 250,000 members who have served their communities since 1994, helping to close the digital divide, improve education, build public housing, and meet critical social and environmental needs. It will also allow hundreds more National Civilian Community Corps members to continue to provide desperately needed help for communities faced with ravaging fires or devastating floods. The bill includes $7.5 million for America's Promise -- the community service initiative led by General Colin Powell that stemmed from the Presidents' Summit for America's Future -- to ensure that children grow into healthy, strong, and productive adults. ? INVEST IN CLEANER ENVIRONMENT. This agreement also contains increased funding for enforcement of the nation?s environmental laws and protection of our air and water. Before signing the legislation, President Clinton insisted that Congress drop or fix objectionable riders that threatened our environment. Today?s legislation: ? Protects the Environment. The budget provides $3.9 billion for the EPA, a 9 percent increase, to strengthen the backbone of the nation?s environmental protection efforts. In recent years, Congress? failure to fully fund the President?s budget proposals has jeopardized the EPA?s ability to protect public health and the environment. These resources will enable EPA to continue to provide American communities with cleaner air, cleaner water, and improved quality of life. ? Promotes Clean Water. The budget includes an 8 percent increase -- over $164 million -- for President Clinton?s Clean Water Action Plan. Forty percent of our nation?s waters don?t meet water quality standards. The EPA, Forest Service, and Departments of the Interior and Commerce will implement the plan together, including monitoring activities, watershed improvements, private forest stewardship, and reclaiming abandoned mine land. The budget includes a $38 million increase for controlling non-point source pollution, the greatest remaining source of poor water quality, and a $56 million increase to help states and tribes strengthen water quality control programs. ? Fights Global Warming. The budget includes $123 million, a 19 percent increase, for the EPA's Climate Change Technology Initiative to help businesses and consumers conserve energy and save money and to reduce local air pollution and the emissions that contribute to global warming. ? Restores the Florida Everglades, a National Treasure. This year?s budget includes $118 million for Army Corps of Engineers projects to restore wetlands and natural waterflows in this internationally important ecosystem. This project is an important step to implement the President?s $7.8 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, which has unprecedented support from Congress and agricultural, community, business and environmental groups. The restoration of America?s Everglades will help ensure a safe supply of water for Florida?s cities and farming communities into the future. ? EMPOWER COMMUNITIES. The longest economic expansion in our nation?s history has brought economic opportunity to millions of people once cut off from the economic mainstream, but too many Americans have not shared in this growth. Today?s legislation: ? Creates 79,000 New Housing Vouchers. With the Administration's leadership, the bill includes $453 million for new vouchers that subsidize the rents of low-income Americans. These vouchers will expand the supply of affordable housing for the 5.4 million very-low-income families who pay more than half their incomes for housing or live in severely inadequate units, including a growing number of families working full time. Vouchers often enable families to move closer to job opportunities. More than 50 years ago, the nation committed itself to the goal of a ?decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family.? This bill brings us a step closer to that goal by building on the 110,000 new vouchers secured through the President?s leadership in the past two years. ? Reforms Voucher Law and Expands Tenant Housing Options. The new law helps Public Housing Authorities use some housing vouchers to expand tenant rental opportunities. For the first time, tenants moving into housing that has a designated voucher will not have to give up their rental assistance if their family needs to move. ? Offers More Emergency Food and Shelter. The budget includes President Clinton?s request to increase funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency?s grants by $30 million, to $140 million. These grants go to the states and are distributed locally to community based organizations to assist families and individuals who need emergency housing and food. As a result of this law, needy Americans will receive 25 million more meals and 1.1 million additional nights of shelter next year. ? Increases Homeless Assistance. The President and Vice President proposed a major expansion of HUD?s continuum of care program to help homeless persons obtain temporary and permanent housing and supportive services. The final budget includes $1.125 billion in funds for the homeless assistance including $100 million for Shelter Plus Care renewals, a 10 percent increase over last year?s budget. ? Making Capital Available in Underserved Communities. The President won $118 million for the Community Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. The Fund has a record of supporting local specialized lenders and investors?as well as traditional financial institutions?that make loans and equity investments in underserved communities. It is a vital source of capital to build a national network of community development lenders, following through on one of the President?s original commitments. The Administration is especially pleased that Congress provided the requested $5 million for technical assistance and training to benefit Native American communities. ? CATALYZE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. The bill increases the nation's investment in scientific discovery and education, which has helped fuel economic growth. Today?s legislation: ? Invests in Energy Research. As part of the Clinton-Gore plan to reduce our nation?s reliance on oil and lower the nation?s fuel bills, the budget includes a $65 million increase for solar and renewable energy technologies at the Department of Energy. These initiatives will help our nation achieve greater energy security, reduce pollution, and create new high-tech industries and jobs. The law boosts basic research in the Department of Energy?s Office of Science by $399 million, or 14 percent. ? Sustains U.S. Leadership across the Scientific Frontiers. The budget contains a $529 million increase for the National Science Foundation?the largest increase ever?for a total investment of $4.4 billion. It boosts university-based research and ensures balanced support for all science and engineering disciplines. Increased investments will spur new discoveries in the fields of information technology, nanotechnology, and other areas of fundamental science and engineering. ? Expands NASA. The final budget includes a $684 million increase, to $14.3 billion, for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. These resources will help NASA meet its human space flight needs more safely and at lower cost through a new generation of space launch vehicles and enable it to establish a sustained human presence in earth orbit and a robotic presence on Mars. ? MEET OUR NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO VETERANS. Today?s legislation provides the additional $1.5 billion the President requested for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the largest one-year increase ever requested by any Administration. These additional resources will help our nation?s 24 million veterans by serving more patients and ensuring high-quality and timely care; improving the delivery of benefit payments for veterans; and meeting our National Shrine commitment to veterans cemeteries. 30-30-30
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