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Buck introduces three amendments to the FY16 Interior Appropriations bill Wednesday

July 9, 2015

Rep. Ken Buck has introduced three amendments to an appropriations bill that take aim at the Environmental Protection Agency.

Wednesday night, Buck, R-Colo., offered three amendments to the Fiscal Year 2016 Interior Appropriations bill and spoke on the House floor about each one, according to a news release issued Thursday from his office.

In his speech Buck, highlighted the regulatory burdens American farmers face at the hands of the Environmental Protection Agency. These regulations have caused the number of American farms to steadily decline over the past several decades, the release stated.

The Agricola Americus Amendment proposes taking $50,000 from the retention bonuses of senior executive personnel at the EPA to conduct a study of whether what he called the “Agricola Americus” â€" which means the American farmer â€" should be classified as an endangered species.

“Not only has the number of American Farmers shrunk, but so has the number of farms,” Buck’s prepared remarks said. “They have faced numerous man-made obstacles that interfere with their environment and encroach on their natural territory. They have been subject to the ravages of wolves released by the very Agency that should be tasked with protecting this essential American species.”

In another amendment, Buck proposed baring the EPA and Department of Interior and any of its agencies from requiring mandatory donations to third party groups as a part of any settlement agreements the agencies enter into.

With the Official Time Amendment, Buck proposed prohibiting paying any federal employee for the time spent not working for the taxpayers, but working for a third party, such as a labor union.

“Some agencies, such as the Department of Transportation have numerous employees making over $170,000 per year while working full-time for the union,” he said. “It’s not right to force our taxpayers to pay the bill to subsidize these private organizations.”