Norman D. Dicks: “I want the gentleman to know, first of all, a couple of important facts. One, the statement of administration policy is…”

“I want the gentleman to know, first of all, a couple of important facts. One, the statement of administration policy is here, and it states that they support the bill. It gets into the question of $700 million, and one of the things it says is, ``Nevertheless, should Congress seek to add additional contingent emergency funds for fiscal year 2002, the proper place for consideration of this funding is in the context of the pending emergency supplemental.'' I am perfectly willing if the conference committee on the supplemental appropriations bill would take the $700 million. We could get it to the agencies faster than having it in the 2003 bill because I know the gentleman's concern is that the Forest Service and the BLM are running out of money. Yes, they can do transfers, but it means that all of their other programs suffer because of that. So we are trying to get this money out there, and I have never been so frustrated. Maybe somebody could tell Mr. Daniels that there is fire in the West and we need this help.”