"Legislation approved this morning by a Senate panel would slash environmental agencies' spending by $200 million from the levels approved by House appropriators."

The measure approved unanimously today by the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee requests $32.1 billion to fund the Interior Department, U.S. EPA and U.S. Forest Service for fiscal 2010, compared with the $32.3 billion requested in the measure approved by the House Appropriations Committee last week. The Senate package is $225 million below President Obama's request and $4.5 billion above 2009 levels.

The full Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to take up the measure Thursday, and floor consideration of the House bill is expected Thursday or Friday."

Noelle Straub, Robin Bravender, and Taryn Luntz report for Greenwire June 23, 2009. [2]