All Quotes

So would it not be wise to do it now in legislation? Why is the Department so adamantly opposed to solving the problem ahead of time?

If you are not willing to do it even though you have done it in the past by finding some condition of technicality, then obviously Congress needs to step up and do it for you since the Department is not willing to do it on their own…

It is not an issue of want. We do not have the authority to return money that has been obligated from a donation.

You still have the $2 million there. You have an additional roughly $2 million that is floating around in your budget.

Do you know whose decision it was to close the parks despite the offers from the States?

Without objection, so ordered.

I believe that we would contract with the parks as we did with this previous shutdown.

The impacts were very real, were very severe, to the tune, again, of millions of dollars impacting very small communities

Our taxes are lower than many States, but that is also correct.

Yes, I believe we would.

During those 17 days the Obama administration failed to even try to uphold President Roosevelt's mantra.

However, the implementation of the partial shutdown when the administration forcefully prohibited access to public lands, it seemed that the administration was seeking to avoid a solution and only increase hardship.

I grew up an hour away from Yellowstone National Park. We love our national parks. We love going up to Glacier Park in the State of Montana.

Because we need to support our States who stepped up to the challenge during this most difficult time with this strong bipartisan support, and I urge passage of this solution to make these States whole for the expended costs due to…

The intent of the continuing resolution passed by Congress was to fully reimburse States for State funds used to operate Federal programs.

This is not a situation that we welcome in the West. You know, to be very honest, we wish we controlled more of our land, such as they do in the East, but that is not the case.

This partial shutdown demonstrated almost too clearly what many have grown to understand, the fact that our public lands are anything but that. They are controlled by the government.

Nobody wanted to see the shutdown. It is important that when we see DC fail in its most basic responsibilities to govern, it is imperative we have contingency plans when the government cannot do its job.