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Senate Removes Conservation Funding from Defense Bill

The Defense Appropriations conference report was amended in the Senate Wednesday night, to remove various provisions -- including removal of the extra $900 million for farm bill conservation programs that had been added when the Defense spending bill moved to debate this week.  

Also removed was the extra $100 million for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and Fish and Wildlife Service wetland and grassland protection programs.

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Ala., says that the bill only provided "$3.1 billion for our first responders, for homeland security needs. We had $1 billion for our farmers and ranchers for farm conservation programs," according to The Congressional Record, Wednesday evening, Dec. 21.  

Because of the changes to the Defense Bill, the House of Representatives had to vote on the amended measure. The $453.3 billion spending bill now goes to the President for his signature.