Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I appreciate the comments from the chairman, and especially the comments from the gentlewoman who understands and has opposition. I would like to remind everybody, again, the reclamation was taking place, the mitigation was taking place. They changed the rules after they agreed on it. This is not a newly mined area. This has been mined before. In fact, I just came from there on the Fourth of July. Chicken, Alaska. This is where this mine is. Lots of mom-and-pop operations, retired people. Chicken, Alaska. You know why they call it ``Chicken''? They couldn't spell ``ptarmigan.'' That is why they call that small community that. They are trying very hard, but very frankly, the BLM came in with this plan. It is not working. In fact, they are spending very large amounts of money trying to implement their reclamation concept when it doesn't work. And I will challenge anybody to show that these miners are not doing their best, but their proposal is trying to put them out of business. I just think that is wrong. If I thought they were doing some harm, I would definitely not be for them. I have been there. I have seen it. I have watched what they are trying to do. An agency, I think, has forgotten their role, and they don't support mining. BLM is supposed to. And they have made it very nearly impossible for, very frankly, a mom-and-pop operation to do so. So I hope the gentlewoman can see her way to allowing this amendment to this bill. Mr.…”