Key Takeaways
- •Members presented FY2027 funding priorities, highlighting the $144 million annual cost for wild horse management and urgent needs for Everglades restoration and American Samoa operations.
- •Dina Titus (U.S. Representative, U.S. House of Representatives) urged the subcommittee to allocate 10% of the wild horse budget to fertility control, calling current management strategies fiscally irresponsible.
- •Rep. Jake Ellzey (R, TX-6) contrasted the $144 million spent on wild horses with Amata Coleman Radewagen's $1 million request for American Samoa, calling the territory's needs highly reasonable.
- •Rep. Michael Simpson (R, ID-2) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D, FL-25) expressed bipartisan agreement on prioritizing Everglades restoration and addressing the invasive python population threatening the ecosystem.
- •The subcommittee will consider these member requests while drafting the FY2027 Interior and Environment bill, balancing conservation efforts, tribal land protections, and territorial funding amidst uncertain budget caps.
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Hearing Analysis
Key Testimony
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies held a Member Day hearing on March 5, 2026, to receive testimony from members of Congress regarding their funding priorities for the fiscal year 2025 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. Chaired by Rep. Michael Simpson (R, ID-2) with Ranking Member Rep. Chellie Pingree (D, ME-1), the hearing served as a forum for representatives to advocate for specific regional projects, environmental protections, and federal agency funding levels that impact their districts.
The hearing featured testimony from three primary witnesses: Rep. Aumua Amata Radewagen (R-AS), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D, FL-25), and Rep. Dina Titus (D, NV-1). The testimony focused heavily on infrastructure needs in U.S. territories, large-scale ecosystem restoration in Florida, and public land management challenges in Nevada.
Rep. Radewagen focused her testimony on the critical needs of American Samoa. She requested continued and increased support for the American Samoa Government (ASG) Operations account, specifically seeking a $2 million increase to address rising costs in healthcare, education, and the judicial system. A central pillar of her testimony was the dire state of the Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical Medical Center (LBJ), the territory's only hospital. Rep. Radewagen noted the facility is over 50 years old and requires a total replacement, estimated to cost several hundred million dollars. She also requested $5 million for the Maintenance Assistance Fund to address deferred maintenance in public schools and infrastructure.
Rep. Wasserman Schultz advocated for environmental and cultural priorities in Florida. Her primary request was for $447 million for the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration project, aligning with the President’s budget request to continue work on the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). She highlighted the importance of the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir and the Central Everglades Planning Project. Additionally, she requested $5 million for the Coral Reef Conservation Program to combat climate change and disease affecting Florida’s barrier reef. For cultural preservation, she sought $2 million for the National Park Service’s African American Civil Rights Grant Program, specifically mentioning the potential for restoring the historic Hampton House in Miami.
Rep. Titus addressed the unique challenges of Nevada, where the federal government manages over 80 percent of the land. She requested $170 million for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program, emphasizing the need for humane management through fertility control and gathers. Rep. Titus also advocated for the continued implementation of the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), which uses federal land sale proceeds for local conservation and recreation. Furthermore, she requested $211 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), noting their role in supporting Nevada’s tourism economy and youth programs.
Overview
The hearing demonstrated a high degree of bipartisan cooperation on regional issues. Rep. Mark Amodei (R, NV-2) joined Rep. Titus in discussing the complexities of wild horse management and the success of SNPLMA in Nevada. Rep. Pingree expressed support for the infrastructure needs of the territories, acknowledging the significant costs associated with the LBJ hospital replacement.
Organizations & Entities
Several federal agencies and organizations were central to the discussion: - Bureau of Land Management (BLM): Discussed extensively regarding its management of public lands in Nevada, specifically the Wild Horse and Burro Program. - Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical Medical Center (LBJ): Identified as a critical infrastructure priority in American Samoa requiring total replacement. - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Referenced regarding its South Florida Geographic Program, environmental justice grants, and State Revolving Funds for water infrastructure. - American Samoa Government (ASG): Mentioned as the recipient of operations funding for essential services like education and healthcare. - National Park Service (NPS): Discussed in the context of Everglades restoration, the African American Civil Rights Grant Program, and infrastructure needs at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. - Office of Insular Affairs (OIA): Cited as the primary agency providing technical and maintenance assistance to U.S. territories. - National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) & National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): Both agencies were recommended for $211 million in funding to support cultural programs. - Hampton House: A historic site in Miami mentioned as a potential beneficiary of civil rights preservation grants. - United States Geological Survey (USGS), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): These agencies were referenced regarding their roles in Everglades science, land acquisition, and coral reef conservation. - Department of the Interior (DOI): Mentioned as the overarching department for Everglades restoration and public land management.
Overview
The subcommittee concluded the hearing by stating that the members' requests would be taken into consideration during the drafting of the FY 2025 appropriations bill. No specific deadlines or follow-up hearings were scheduled during this session.
Transcript
Good afternoon and thank you to my colleagues for joining us to provide their testimony on the fiscal year 2027 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. I look forward to hearing from you about projects and programs in the bill that are important to your districts and to communities across the country. Your input will be critical as we work to fund the agencies under the subcommittee's jurisdiction, including the Department of Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the US Forest Service, the Indian Health Services, and several others. We will work to accommodate these priorities as best we can for fiscal year 2027 appropriations process as the 2027 appropriation process moves forward. Thank you again to each of our colleagues who have taken time out of their busy schedules to speak with us today. We thank you for bringing these items to our attention. At this time, I'd like to yield to Ranking Member Pingree for her opening statement.
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