The Interior-Environment appropriations bill allocates vital funding for programs that safeguard our communities and protect our public lands, wildlife, air, and water. H.R. 2643, the fiscal year 2008 bill, provided an increase of nearly $2 billion over the president's budget request--a sizable down payment that would begin to restore environment and conservation agencies and programs starved by years of underfunding. This increase was made possible by the prioritization of environmental and natural resource funding in the overall budget blueprint, the fiscal year 2008 House budget resolution.

Among its other achievements, the bill provided record funding increases for national parks and wildlife refuges; boosted funding for land acquisition, diesel emissions reduction, state and tribal wildlife grants, and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund; and established a ground-breaking Commission on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.

On June 27, 2007, the House approved H.R. 2643 by a vote of 272-155 (House roll call vote 579). YES is the pro-environment vote. The version of the bill signed into law increased funding by more than $1 billion over the President's initial budget request.