Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I will give my friends, and I do mean they are my friends, great credit for being imaginative and making it very difficult for this chairman. This amendment does have merits. But I will say that I do believe CARA provides, very frankly, the local governments the notice. I understand his concern. The Federal Government, I think, is pretty much hamstrung on how any land will be purchased. If I am not mistaken, I think his amendment is really directed towards the purchase of land by the States. I am not sure we have the authority to tell the States how to run their business and how and what lands they should buy, that is what concerns me a great deal. And the second thing is the way I read this amendment that under this amendment, a landowner who wants to sell their land or even a conservation easement on their land to the State government or to a Federal agent is prohibited from doing so without the permission of the local government, and that is the taking; that is the taking. I always thought that my good friends were always for the private property right owner in letting him make the decision on how he should dispose of his land if he wishes to do so. I am a little bit concerned. To me, the way that the amendment is drafted, it appears that it asks us to do two things; one is to interfere with a State. I want to believe in State's rights, and I hope everybody else does, too.”