Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland was recently on Capitol Hill to testify in support of the agency’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request and was met with questions regarding staffing, foreign reliance on critical minerals, the Biden administration’s climate change policy and other issues.
Haaland appeared before the House Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee on March 28, making the case for DOI’s request for $16.9 billion in net discretionary authority—an increase of $2 billion, or 13% from the 2023 enacted appropriation.
Haaland highlighted some proposals in her opening remarks, including reforms to the wildfire workforce, expanding the Good Neighbor program to include the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and increasing funding for Tribal programs. Haaland said the budget request would also enable the agency to hire an additional 4,000 staff members and fund deferred maintenance projects.
Staffing
Chairman Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID-02) said with the budget deficit continuing to rise, “We need to have a serious discussion with having to do more with less.” Simpson said he would be looking to increase efficiency and reduce duplications while ensuring federal dollars are spent wisely. He added that he was concerned with the influx of funding from the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other bills to hire additional employees. Simpson continued he was concerned that the agency may ask Congress for additional funding in the future to avoid layoffs of the new hires.
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), ranking member of the subcommittee, asked Haaland to elaborate on what effect keeping funding at fiscal 2022 levels would have on the agency’s programs.
“The proposal would have real and damaging impacts to our country,” Haaland said. She said it would result in less hiring of temporary employees, 1,000-1,700 fewer firefighters and fewer employees at NPS for visitor information and cleanup, and for permitting energy projects.
Simpson said he appreciated Pingree addressing what would happen to DOI at 2022 spending levels, emphasizing that the priorities of that budget may be different today and those priorities may need to be evaluated and need spending cuts.
Critical minerals
In his opening remarks, Simpson said one of the priorities is that the U.S. is not dependent on “our adversaries” for critical minerals, and mining in a manner that protects the environment.
Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT-01) started the questioning in a cordial tone, thanking Haaland for her work with him on the Blackfeet Tribe, but the tone quickly changed when Zinke asked Haaland about critical minerals.
“Madam Secretary, is it your policy that critical minerals should be sourced from countries that are stewards of the environment, like the U.S. and our allies, or sourced from Russia and China, that don’t share our same values?” Zinke asked.
While Haaland attempted to answer the question, Zinke asked if Haaland was aware of a DOI report on critical minerals dated Dec. 17, 2017. According to a press release published by Zinke, in 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey released a report that the U.S. depends on China and Russia for critical minerals for national defense and the manufacturing economy.
Zinke was DOI secretary under the Trump administration from March 2017 to January 2019 when the report was released, and he criticized DOI’s January decision to issue a 20-year mining moratorium of federal land in northeastern Minnesota near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that had been eyed for a potential copper and nickel mine.
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14) also pointed out that the BLM and U.S. Forest Service were studying the effects of critical mineral mining in the Rapid Creek Watershed located in the Black Hills National Forest. Reschenthaler said “banning” the mining projects furthers the country’s dependence on China for critical minerals.
However, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) noted that mine projects in Montana and Washington were halted under the Trump administration due to water quality. McCollum noted that 20% of “the purest water” comes from Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and it is hard to put an economic or moral value on water.
Wildfires and ag issues
Pingree stated the budget request builds upon the Biden administration’s commitment to climate change and includes increases for advancing science and conservation. Pingree said she was pleased the budget is “taking a holistic approach” to wildfires by focusing on a healthy landscape. Pingree praised the budget request for including better compensation for firefighters and ensuring their health and well-being.
Simpson applauded DOI’s effort to increase pay for wildland firefighters, but the legislation to support the pay increase has not been presented to Congress. Simpson asked if Haaland knew what the pay increases and fixed costs would have on future discretionary budgets. Haaland said the agency is asking for an additional $72 million in 2024 for federal and Tribal wildland firefighters and would be willing to work with the subcommittee on what it would cost in future years.
Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA-09) stressed that while there has been short-term disaster relief in his area of San Joaquin County, there needs to be long-term solutions, as the area is currently flooded. Harder asked Haaland what the agency’s plan for a long-term strategic solution was and Haaland replied it would require the cooperation of all levels of government, and that the Bureau of Reclamation and Army Corps of Engineers are working on a solution. Harder said the budget request doesn’t invest enough in flood management infrastructure and California needs $34 billion over the next few decades to upgrade dams and levees.
Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT-02) also weighed in on the issue of wild horses and burros, encouraging Haaland to continue aggressive measures to reduce and control the critically-overpopulated wild horse and burro herds on BLM land.
According to Roll Call, Zinke approached Haaland after the meeting and said, “I may wear a hat but it’s not cowboys and Indians, I hope you know that.” Haaland laughed. — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
