Political Quotes

“The private landholder, I am not asking to change the definition of the bill here. I am saying let us give them some consideration. What right does this body have to impose our will on those people who have done no wrong, that have this land under present law? For some reason we have forgotten what the Constitution says and what our role in Congress is. Yes, we want to protect the environment, but do we want to lose the rights of individuals to protect the environment? We are not asking much. I am just asking Mr. Pombo's amendment be accepted, giving access over existing roads, no new roads, no new trails, existing roads to be left intact. That is all he is asking. If we take that away, this body has lost sight of the American way. Regardless of what you may say and all these interest groups--the Sierra Clubs, the friends of yours, all 57 of these leeches around this area of Washington, DC, dictating to the Members of this body as to what they should do with their lands, and not the people in the area. That is what upsets me about all this legislation. This is not driven by the people at home, it is driven by the people out of L.A., San Francisco, it is driven by the people belonging to these organizations. If you are doing this right, make this a recreational area and protect those people who have those rights given to them under law. Protect them. Don't say protect them and then not do it. That is wrong. That is what we have been doing in the past, time after time.”