Norman D. Dicks

I just want to rise in very strong opposition. Being a westerner, I have counties in my district that receive these payments. I think it's justified. I appreciate the fact that the new majority has tried to protect these payments. It's…

I appreciate the gentleman's point. As I have been told, there has been an effort to try and keep 50 percent of the people and the activities in your area in Virginia, and that's one of the most important defense areas the country has. So…

That's the point. It would cost more to fix these dams up. That's the problem we faced on the Elwha. Even though the dams were there, the cost was so high to fix them up that it was better to take them out. Now, this study will just look…

And you would think that the gentleman from California would be interested in letting the local community come to a decision on this rather than imposing it from Washington, D.C., and overturning what this local group of people have been…

And being from Oregon, you realize that it would do a lot potentially for salmon restoration.

I appreciate the gentleman yielding. I understand there is a school of thought that we should just let nature take its way. But on the west coast of Washington State, we have from time to time had to come out and put in replenishment…

I have known Jane for 42 years. She was a staff assistant to Senator Tunney when I was a staff assistant to Senator Magnuson. We have worked together as colleagues ever since. We love Sidney. We are so excited that there still is a Woodrow…

I hear so much talk on the other side that the stimulus program didn't--reputable economists say the unemployment rate would be at 12.5 to 13 percent if we hadn't had the stimulus package. And again, that's why we're so worried about the…

I would just say to the gentleman from New Jersey that I was in almost all of the meetings in our caucus. This bill was read provision by provision, sentence by sentence, and we had the staffers there who wrote these provisions under the…

I just want to also join the chairman in congratulating the staff. This is the hardest-working staff I have ever seen in my career. The effort that is put in on a bipartisan basis, this is the cohesive and professional staff that I have…

I appreciate it, and I associate myself with your remarks. Did you mention that the associate general counsel and chief diversity officer of the Federal Communications is cut out of this as well?

I agree with the gentleman. I've been down there on that southern border. I would just point out, though, that yesterday we killed the National Drug Intelligence Center, which is used by the Justice Department to try and target the people…