Senate Appropriations Committee

Senator Domenici is proud to serve on one of the oldest and most powerful of Senate committees—the Senate Appropriations Committee.

As the custodian of Congress' "power of the purse," the Constitution states that "No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by law . . ." (Article I, Section 9). Each year Congress must pass appropriations bills to fund the operation of federal programs and agencies. As a member of the Appropriations Committee since 1983, Senator Domenici has been actively involved in writing this legislation for many years.

In the 110th Congress, Senator Domenici serves on six of the 12 Subcommittees. He serves as Ranking Member of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee that is so important to New Mexicans. The bill developed by this subcommittee provides funding for the annual operations of the Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories at Sandia and Los Alamos, and it funds the water programs of the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation that are so critical to the arid Southwest.

Senator Domenici also serves on the powerful Defense Appropriations Subcommittee that is key to supporting New Mexico military installations at Kirtland, Holloman, Cannon, the White Sands Missile Range, and National Guard armories. This position was particularly important during the round of base closures authorized in 2005, as Senator Domenici worked to maintain Cannon���s viability and future usefulness for the Department of Defense.

As a senior Committee member, Senator Domenici was appointed to the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, which focuses on securing the United States against terrorist attacks. Senator Domenici wants to marshal all the talents of New Mexico's labs, universities and private businesses to tackle homeland security threats. This includes border control, first responder training by New Mexico Tech, and a new training initiative in Playas, NM. This bill also now supports the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Artesia.

Senator Domenici is the Ranking Member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and serves on the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee which funds programs of the Department of the Interior, such as the Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, BLM and the BIA; the U.S. Forest Service; Indian Health Service; DOE fossil energy and energy conservation programs; and the Environmental Protection Agency. Through this Subcommittee Senator Domenici shepherded funding to acquire the Baca Ranch, to restore the Palace of the Governors, and support the national parks and national forests in New Mexico, and to rebuild BIA schools. Funding to develop new arsenic technologies, to improve respiratory health, and to tackle environmental problems on the US-Mexico border have specifically been funded by Domenici in this appropriations bill. This bill also funds Domenici's hazardous fuels reduction ("Happy Forests") program to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire in our forests and on public lands.

The Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittee upon which Domenici serves provides critical funding in support of state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as for the nation's scientific endeavors through NASA and the National Science Foundation. Senator Domenici has been instrumental in supporting anti-drug efforts in northern New Mexico counties. He has been a strong supporter of the Violence against Women programs and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and other after-school programs for at-risk children and youths. Important astronomy discoveries continue to be made by scientists using the Very Large Array (VLA) and Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) near Socorro, which are supported in this bill. Senator Domenici is currently pushing funding to expand and upgrade the VLA.

As a member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee, Senator Domenici has secured funding for transit projects throughout New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and many communities. Highway projects and aviation grants for New Mexico are also funded by Domenici in this bill. He has also supported specific community development grants for New Mexico food banks, day care centers, homeless shelters, rape crisis centers, and community centers, to name a few. This bill also provides funding for housing programs, including the Native American housing block grant programs authorized in the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act. Twenty years of service on the Senate Appropriations Committee has allowed Senator Domenici to assist New Mexicans with many important initiatives and to make contributions to the nation's forward progress.

Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee

Senator Domenici is the Ranking Member of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. Through his past position as Chairman and current position as the senior minority-party member on the subcommittee, Senator Domenici provides funds for the Department of Energy's energy research activities, including environmental restoration and waste management, and atomic energy defense activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration. As a result, Senator Domenici plays an integral role in both the nuclear weapons complex and the work of the national labs providing leadership both in programs and policies.

On this subcommittee, Senator Domenici also is responsible for funding water resources development programs, which include the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. The Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee is also responsible for independent agencies and commissions such as the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority, Denali Commission, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In total, the Subcommittee provides approximately $30 billion in funding during each fiscal year running from October 1st to September 30th.

For more information on the Appropriations Committee, please visit:
http://appropriations.senate.gov/

For a complete list of legislation currently under the jurisdiction of the Appropriations Committee, please see:
http://www.crs.gov/products/appropriations/appover.shtml