madam chairman , i yield myself such time as i may consume . 
madam chairman , today we present for consideration by the house the interior , environment and related agencies fiscal year 2006 appropriations bill as approved by the house committee on appropriations . 
the bill provides a total of $ 26.2 billion in funding for programs for the department of the interior , environmental protection agency , forest service , indian health service , the smithsonian institution , and several other environmental and cultural agencies and commissions . 
the bill is $ 823 million below the fiscal year 2005 level , and $ 435 million above the administration budget request . 
this is a balanced , bipartisan bill . 
it provides significant increases for our national parks , indian schools , hospitals and clinics , wildfire programs ; forest health is a high priority , and the healthy forest initiative is fully funded . 
the payments in lieu of taxes program has a healthy increase of $ 30 million above the budget request , and more than $ 3 million above the 2005 level . 
despite our very tight allocation , the committee believes it is important to provide this increased funding for pilt . 
there is an increase of $ 64 million for operations of our national park system , including a $ 30 million increase specifically designed for individual units of the national park service . 
this targeted park base increase will benefit all of our parks . 
the bill also restores critical funding for science programs , historic preservation programs , national forest systems programs , and save america 's treasures grants . 
finally , we have restored critical environmental education , research and rural water programs in the environmental protection agency , and provided some limited increases for initiatives proposed in the budget request , including superfund , homeland security , school bus retrofits , the clean diesel program , methane to markets initiative , and the brownfields program . 
the budget request for epa , while substantially below last year 's level and proposed increases in that budget request , were funded by elimination of many critical mission essential programs . 
we heard from nearly every member of the house asking that we provide funding for epa programs that were eliminated or reduced in the budget . 
the program restoration and increases for the various programs and agencies in this bill are offset by the decreases in land acquisition , construction , and state grant programs , and by lowering the amount provided for the increases proposed in the budget request . 
this is a balanced bill . 
it is within the 302 ( b ) allocation for budget authority and outlays . 
it provides the needed funding to keep the agencies in the bill operating at a reasonable level . 
it does not provide a lot of funding for new initiatives . 
the choices made by the committee were tough and fair and responsible . 
i urge all of my colleagues to support the bill . 
at this point , i would like to ask that a table detailing the accounts in the bill be inserted in the record . 
madam chairman , i would like to thank the staff of both the minority and majority staff , and mr. dicks , and all of those who have worked with the committee in producing this . 
we have had outstanding participation , and i thank all of them for their participation . 
madam chairman , i reserve the balance of my time . 
