The Heavy Vehicle Aerodynamic Drag project lacks the ability to factor-in the impact of seasonal and regional surface winds in the United States on expected overall fuel economy resulting from improved designs. A one-year demonstration will be conducted to verify fuel savings for long-haul heavy vehicles by the application of objective surface wind forecast fields for efficient scheduling and/or routing by dispatch operators. This concept will demonstrate how to avoid, or take advantage of, strong surface winds that change predictably and rapidly in speed and/or direction. Thank you for your time and your serious consideration of my FY 2004 requests. Mr. TAYLOR. If you had to, would you prioritize them or you wouldn't? I wouldn't put you in that position. Mr. VISCLOSKY. They are all very important. Mr. TAYLOR. I understand. Mr. DICKS. How are we doing on the Indiana Dunes? Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Dicks, with the help of this committee year in and year out, we are doing very well. I hope we are closing in on the time that I will not have to come before the subcommittee and ask for land acquisition money for the existing park. I wouldn't want to give you a guess. Mr. DICKS. Two million visitors, though. That is pretty significant. Mr. VISCLOSKY. We get a lot and we had the donation I think of about 20 acres in the Miller area of Kiairie that was contiguous to the park. That is, for us, a big thing. It is very heavily used. The Goodfellow Camp, which is a private/public partnership, you are seeing a lot of utilization by young children, many of whom have never been to a park. Mr. DICKS. Some of the additional property would be on the lake front? Mr. VISCLOSKY. Because of the generosity of this subcommittee, no. There is money in the acquisition account for acquisition of approximately 60 acres immediately west of National Steel. We have entered into a very complex arrangement with the State of Indiana, County of Porter, City of Portage, National Steel and the Federal Government to essentially build an overpass into an industrial complex because once every 24 months we have a fatal train accident at a six grade crossing. In return, the company has expedited clean closure of their property west of the facility. We have money set aside again because of specific earmarks from this subcommittee to purchase that and the National Park Service is in negotiations right now. So we also have clean closure of holding pits. The Park Service will then do a cooperative agreement with the City of Portage which is landlocked and has never had access for its people to Lake Michigan. So there is a whole number of good things that will proceed. Mr. DICKS. Good. Mr. TAYLOR. Thank you. Mr. VISCLOSKY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2003. BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS AND INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE WITNESS HON. DALE E. KILDEE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN Mr. TAYLOR. Dale. Mr. KILDEE. I want to thank you for the opportunity to address the fiscal 2004 budget as it affects the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Services. The President's fiscal year 2004 budget request for BIA is $2.3 billion, an increase of $62 million over the fiscal year 2000 level. This amount would provide $1.9 billion for the operation of Indian programs. Tribal priority allocations takes up a majority of the BIA's operating budget. The President's budget request provides $777.6 million for this line item which represents an increase of $2.1 million over fiscal 2003. The President's budget proposal provides $135.3 million for contract support costs, a modest increase of $2.1 million over 2003. These funds assist tribes in contracting or compacting Federal programs and services under the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act. The President's budget request provides $131.4 million for BIA school construction, an increase of $6.2 million over fiscal year 2003. This funding will replace and complete the construction of dilapidated schools. I would urge this subcommittee to increase this amount to eliminate the $1 billion backlog of school construction projects. I am sure that cannot be done in one year but the backlog is real and I observe it physically when I visit those schools. The President's request of $148.2 million for education facilities improvement and repair represents a decrease of $16.6 million below the fiscal 2003 level. I urge the subcommittee to increase this amount. The President's budget request of $38 million for tribal colleges and universities reflects a decrease of $4 million below the 2003 level. I urge the subcommittee to support the request of $49.2 million by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium for Titles I and II. I urge the subcommittee to restore funding to the Crownpoint Institute of Technology at $1.2 million and the United Tribe and Technical College at $3 million which are the fiscal year 2003 levels. I support the President's request of $5.25 million for basic operations for the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Cultural and Arts Development. Mr. DICKS. Where is that located, Dale? Mr. KILDEE. That is located in Santa Fe. Technically, I think I am a member of the board but usually Canteehee represents me at the meetings there. This committee, I have to say, through its history has saved that and vastly improved it. It is really a great institution and without the help of this subcommittee, would not be existing, so you did a great job there. I support the President's request of $171 million for law enforcement programs and the Indian Police Academy in Artesia, New Mexico. This is an increase of nearly $10 million over the 2003 level. While I support the budget request of $17.1 million for tribal courts, this represents a modest increase of $13,000 over the fiscal year 2003 level. I urge an increase of $1 million to respond to the backlog in that area. The President's request provides substantial increases for trust I look forward to working with this subcommittee, the Resources The President's fiscal year 2004 budget request for the Indian The President's request of $387 million for health facilities rep- The budget request includes $70 million for ongoing construction The President's request proposes to eliminate 195 full-time Mr. Chairman, this concludes my remarks on the BIA and IHS [The statement of Mr. Kildee follows:] APRIL 2, 2003 TESTIMONY OF DALE E. KILDEE, M.C. HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERIOR FY 2004 BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS INTRODUCTION MR. CHAIRMAN, GOOD MORNING. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR II. BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS THE PRESIDENT'S FISCAL YEAR 2004 BUDGET REQUEST FOR BIA TRIBAL PRIORITY ALLOCATIONS (TPA) TAKES UP A MAJORITY THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET PROPOSAL PROVIDES $135.3 MILLION THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET REQUEST PROVIDES 131.4 MILLION |