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OCTOBER 2, 2000

Responding to political pressure, Senator Slade Gorton (R-Wash) removed a provision from the 2001 Department of Interior Appropriations bill that would have prevented the government from spending any money to research dam breaching.

Gorton added language to the bill because he opposes removing dams on the Snake River. He said the government needed to wait until all studies on salmon recovery were complete before considering dam breaching.

But White House officials already said the issue wouldn't be considered for several years. Nevertheless, Gorton was adamant about including the provision in the $18.7 billion bill.

But he admitted on Friday that his provision would have prevented funding from going through. A White House aid told him the President would veto the entire package if Gorton's provision remained.

Unless the bill is passed, a government shutdown would have occured. A temporary extension preventing shutdown was passed on Thursday, giving the government, and lawmakers, until October 6 to finalize the budget.

The current session of Congress ends on that date.

In an editorial today, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says Gorton, and other politicians, will have to live up with the realization that dam breaching may be necessary, if studies warrant it. Tribal leaders and other environmental groups have called for the removal of four dams on the river.

Get the Editorial:
EDITORIAL: Gorton still doesn't want to know science on dams (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 10/2)

Related Stories:
Report: Gorton can't read (Enviro 09/22)
Dam breaching supported (Enviro 09/13)
Candidate's salmon plan criticized (Enviro 9/8)
States urge tribes to accept salmon plan (Enviro 7/26)
Dam breaching on hold (Enviro 7/20)
Racial tensions build over dams (The Talking Circle 04/14)
Treaty rights heat up (Tribal Law 04/14)