Agricultural, Environmental and Consumer Protection Appropriations Act for fiscal 1975. The vote is on the McGee motion to kill the Nelson amendment to appropriate $700 million to reimburse states and cities for the cost of constructing sewage treatment plants. After Congress passed the Water Pollution Control Act in 1956, many cities used their own money to construct treatment plants in anticipation of matching federal money. But some of these funds were never paid. In 1973, the Senate had already authorized but not appropriated sufficient funds to pay the cities back. If the federal government fails to honor these commitments it will discourage other localities from taking any initiative on other pollution laws in the future. President Nixon supported the McGee motion to remove the funds. July 22, 1974. Motion agreed to 45-43. NO is the correct vote.