Environmental Funding Priorities

Senate Roll Call Vote 65

1998 Scorecard Vote

Pro-environment vote

Yes

Votes For

47

Votes Against

52

Not Voting

1

The 1997 balanced budget agreement proposed decreasing overall environmental spending every year until at least 2003–an action with serious implications for efforts to protect natural resources and reduce pollution. During consideration of the 1999 budget resolution, which sets the framework for making annual appropriation and tax cut decisions, the Senate proposed even deeper cuts in future environmental spending.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) countered with an amendment that would restore funding in the Fiscal Year 1999 budget for President Clinton’s proposed Environmental Resources Fund for America, a major spending initiative designed to fund a wide array of environment and natural resource programs. The Lautenberg amendment would provide room in the overall federal budget for several environmental initiatives, including:

  • the Clean Water Action Plan, channeling $568 million to states, tribes, and individuals to reduce polluted runoff from urban areas, agriculture, mining, and other sources–the largest unregulated source of water pollution; 
  • the Land, Water and Facility Restoration Initiative, providing an additional $92 million for repairing and refurbishing the aging infrastructure in national parks, forests, refuges, and other public lands; 
  • a $2.1 billion, or 40%, funding increase for accelerating toxic waste cleanups at Superfund sites; and 
  • expanded funding for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Loan funds to ensure that drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure continue to meet water quality and public health needs for the next century. 

On April 2, 1998, the Lautenberg amendment was defeated, 47 – 52. YES is the pro-environment vote.

Votes

Show Options
Show
Export data (CSV)
  • Pro-environment Vote
  • Anti-environment Vote
  • Missed Vote
  • Excused
  • Not Applicable

Vote Key

Sort by
Alabama
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

Alaska
1998 Scorecard Average

9%

Arizona
1998 Scorecard Average

88%

Arkansas
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

California
1998 Scorecard Average

92%

Colorado
1998 Scorecard Average

94%

Connecticut
1998 Scorecard Average

100%

Delaware
1998 Scorecard Average

94%

Florida
1998 Scorecard Average

0%

Georgia
1998 Scorecard Average

97%

Hawaii
1998 Scorecard Average

97%

Idaho
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

Illinois
1998 Scorecard Average

94%

Indiana
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

Iowa
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

Kansas
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

Kentucky
1998 Scorecard Average

9%

Louisiana
1998 Scorecard Average

9%

Maine
1998 Scorecard Average

47%

Maryland
1998 Scorecard Average

100%

Massachusetts
1998 Scorecard Average

100%

Michigan
1998 Scorecard Average

94%

Minnesota
1998 Scorecard Average

97%

Mississippi
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

Missouri
1998 Scorecard Average

0%

Montana
1998 Scorecard Average

41%

Nebraska
1998 Scorecard Average

3%

Nevada
1998 Scorecard Average

94%

New Hampshire
1998 Scorecard Average

88%

New Jersey
1998 Scorecard Average

100%

New Mexico
1998 Scorecard Average

100%

New York
1998 Scorecard Average

97%

North Carolina
1998 Scorecard Average

3%

North Dakota
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

Ohio
1998 Scorecard Average

44%

Oklahoma
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

Oregon
1998 Scorecard Average

100%

Pennsylvania
1998 Scorecard Average

90%

Rhode Island
1998 Scorecard Average

97%

South Carolina
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

South Dakota
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

Tennessee
1998 Scorecard Average

3%

Texas
1998 Scorecard Average

6%

Utah
1998 Scorecard Average

9%

Vermont
1998 Scorecard Average

97%

Virginia
1998 Scorecard Average

100%

Washington
1998 Scorecard Average

97%

West Virginia
1998 Scorecard Average

16%

Wisconsin
1998 Scorecard Average

50%

Wyoming
1998 Scorecard Average

3%