November 30, 2009: The Senate will convene at 2:00 p.m. and proceed to a period of morning business until 3:00 p.m. with Senators permitted to speak for up to ten minutes each. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R.3590, with Senator Reid, or designee, permitted to offer the first amendment to the Reid substitute; further, that Senator McConnell, or designee, be permitted to offer the next amendment to the substitute with no other amendments in order during Monday's session. There will be no roll call votes during Monday's session.
Press Release
of
Senator Johnson
Johnson Reacts to the White House's Shockingly Bad Water Funding Numbers
Contact: Julianne Fisher, 202-224-1638
Washington, DC—As President George W. Bush released his proposed 2009 budget to Congress today, U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) was disappointed to see the funding levels the President set for water projects like Lewis & Clark and Mni Wiconi. The President’s request is 37% below the funding levels enacted by Congress for 2008 with the President proposing $16.154 million for Lewis and Clark and $26.24 for Mni Wiconi’s construction and operations budget. In December, the South Dakota delegation called on Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Jim Nussle and the White House to keep funding for the Lewis & Clark project on track to bring water to more than 300,000 people in 20 communities in three states. Budget Director Nussle told members of the South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa congressional delegations that the budget would reflect out nation’s “highest priorities” and promote “sustained economic growth.” “Lewis and Clark needed up to $35 million to keep the project moving forward. We’re willing to work with the President, but this is less than half of what they need. This budget is unrealistic and short-sighted. Tax cuts for Wall Street millionaires have found their place in the President’s budget, but the 300,000 people from our tri-state area were told their drinking water isn’t important enough to fully fund,” Johnson said. “I am a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. I consider the President’s budget a start and not the end. However, the President has made fully funding this project this year very difficult by not placing a priority on funding infrastructure and keeping the economy here at home moving forward,” Johnson continued. Last year, the President requested only $15 million for the Lewis & Clark Project. Using his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Johnson was able to bring the number up to $26.58 million in the final budget. Budget ‘09 FY’08 enacted FY’07 enacted Lewis & Clark $16.154 million $26.568 m $21 million Mni Wiconi - construction $16.24 million $28.197 m $28.64 million Mni Wiconi – operations & maintenance $10 million $9.374m $9.526 million Perkins County $0 $2.952m $200,000 Total $42.394 million $67.091 million $59.366 million NOTE: A more detailed budget release will follow this one. ### For more information on Senator Tim Johnson visit his website at http://johnson.senate.gov.
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