mr. chairman , i thank the ranking member and the chairman of the subcommittee for their work on this bill .  this is hard work .  this particular appropriations bill goes to the very heart of many of our congressional districts .  i appreciate very much the $ 4.7 billion in funding provided to the army corps of engineers , but let me express my disappointment that we have not been able to stretch the dollars to provide work on new projects .  i am speaking particularly about sims bayou , greens bayou , white oaks bayou and braes bayou .  more importantly , having worked on legislation dealing with inland flooding , i can tell you that flooding is a very serious issue in my district .  i look forward to working with this appropriations subcommittee through the coming session to be able to provide greater assistance .  might i also acknowledge my concern on the funding for nonproliferation in nuclear weapons .  while i wish we had been able to include more dollars in this area , i am pleased that we were able to increase their funding by $ 8 million over last year .  unlike previous years , due to the appropriations subcommittee reorganization , the bill funds several renewable energy programs , clean coal technology , and the strategic petroleum reserve .  such programs greatly enhance the lives and security of my constituents .  i am very pleased that the appropriations committee rejected the administration 's proposal to prioritize army corps of engineers water projects based on the projected revenue they would bring to the government .  i want to join the gentleman from texas ( mr. gene green ) as relates to our port in houston , a very important economic arm , but also an entity that needs a great deal of oversight and funding for security and also operation .  i am disappointed that the maintenance and operation funding is not as much as it should be .  i also wish there could have been added funds for new projects .  obviously , the needs of this nation change on a daily basis .  saying that this year we will not start any new projects is a bit illogical .  new projects are extremely efficient in job creation and there are many competitive projects across the nation .  one portion of the bill i am concerned about is the underfunding of the national nuclear security administration , $ 136 million less than the president 's request .  i understand that some of this withheld money would have gone to the robust nuclear earth penetrator .  i agree with the committee that we need to think long and hard before we start creating new nuclear weapons when we are pushing the rest of the world .  mr. chairman , i ask my colleagues to support this and hope that we can do something more about the yucca mountain project by not funding it , without further study and consideration of other opinions .  the people of nevada deserve no less .  mr. chairman , let me first say thanks to you and the ranking member for your work on this bill .  mr. chairman , let me raise an issue of concern for my constituents .  i appreciate very much the $ 4.7 billion in funding provided to the army corps of engineers , but let me express my disappointment that we have not been able to stretch the dollars to provide work on new projects .  i am speaking particularly about sims bayou , greens bayou , white oaks bayou and braes bayou .  more importantly , having worked on legislation dealing with inland flooding , i can tell you that flooding is a very serious issue in my district , and i would look forward to working with this appropriations subcommittee through conference to be able to provide some greater assistance .  mr. chairman , might i also acknowledge my concern on the funding for nonproliferation in nuclear weapons .  while i wish we had been able to include more dollars in this area , i am please that we were able to increase their funding by $ 8 million over last year 's levels .  i would like to commend the chairman and ranking member of the energy and water subcommittee of the appropriations committee for their excellent work on crafting this bill .  there are several elements of debate between the majority and the minority , and between the house and the administration , but in general it seems that a fair compromise has been reached .  unlike previous years , due to the appropriations subcommittee reorganization , the bill funds several renewable energy programs , clean coal technology , and the strategic petroleum reserve .  such programs greatly enhance the lives and security of my constituents .  i am very pleased that the appropriations committee rejected the administration 's proposal to prioritize army corps of engineers water projects based on the projected revenue they would bring to the government .  this prioritization plan would have essentially eliminated some , while much needed , less profitable projects .  i support the $ 4.7 billion provided for the corps , 9.5 percent more than the president 's request .  this is a smart investment .  i wish there could have been added funds for new projects .  obviously , the needs of this nation change on a daily basis .  saying that this year , we will not start any new projects is a bit illogical .  new projects are extremely efficient in job creation .  there are many competitive projects across the nation and in my district , which should have been provided for .  however , at least this bill is not a step backwards , like the administration 's request .  i commend the committee for its leadership on this issue .  one portion of the bill i am concerned about is the under-funding of the national nuclear security administration ( nnsa ) , $ 136 million less than the president 's request .  i understand that some of this withheld money would have gone to the `` robust nuclear earth penetrator. '' i agree with the committee that we need to think long and hard before we start creating new nuclear weapons , when we are pushing the rest of the world to put aside such implements of violence and destruction .  we are being accused on every front of employing double standards : as we march on in war and talk about peace in the middle east ; as we spurn our own neighbors in cuba but ask people in the occupied territories or in korea or in south asia , to forgive and forget ; as we talk about liberating people but allow tens of millions to die from hiv/aids in africa .  we do not need through my work on the science committee i have come to understand the amazing new technologies on the horizon that will decrease our reliance on foreign sources of fossil fuels , and help preserve our environment for generations to come .  it is good to see that this bill has allotted $ 3.7 billion , 6 percent more than the administration 's request for science programs .  however , of the energy research out there , hydrogen fuels and fuel cells are some of the most promising areas that need to be developed .  the science committee has encouraged strong support of these programs , and the administration also has recognized their value .  but this appropriations bill provides for less than half of what the administration has requested for hydrogen technology research .  i represent houston , the energy capital of the world .  i understand the needs again i thank the chairman and the ranking member for their work on this bill .  the lagging economy of the past 3 years , and huge deficits that have been created by our fiscal policies , have made budgets very tight .  i wish this were not the case .  but considering the box we are in , i believe our appropriators have done an admirable job here to fund important priorities and serve the nation 's energy and water needs .  yet i am very disappointed in the support for the yucca mountain nuclear waste respository at an amount of an additional $ 310 million .  the project needs more consideration and more study , there is much opposition in nevada and the people of that great state deserve better from this congress .  