The vote is on the Garn (R-UT) motion to kill the Moynihan/Durenberger amendment to the HUD & Independent Agencies Appropriations bill (H.R. 6956). The amendment would have added $39 million for EPA research, and $30 million for Superfund. Congress had already met President Reagan's request to cut the EPA research budget by 39% in fiscal 1982, and was now cutting another 25% for fiscal 1983. The Moynihan amendment would merely have kept the appropriation at 1982 levels.

The Administration has frequently delayed or weakened important health and environmental regulations, saying that it did not have adequate scientific information. At the same time, it had virtually ensured that the needed data will not exist, by massively cutting back on the Environmental Protection Agency's funds for scientific research and development. The Moynihan amendment would have added money for research on the health effects of pollutants, their impact on crops, and many other programs. The Garn motion to kill it was adopted 44-40; September 24, 1982. NO is the pro-environmental vote. (Later Congress did increase EPA's R&D funds by a tiny $4 million, and Superfund by $10 million.)