Political Quotes

“the bill before us is H.R. 478, the Flood Prevention and Family Protection Act of 1997. The Committee on Resources reported the bill to the House on April 10 by 29 votes, including 6 Democratic votes. As my colleagues know, in the last Congress I made the reauthorization and reform of the Endangered Species Act a top priority of my committee. I am one of the few Members, in fact probably the second Member of this whole body, who voted for the Endangered Species Act in 1973. I have supported the goals of the Endangered Species Act throughout my 25 years in Congress. However, as an early supporter I can tell my colleagues that today, 24 years later, I am sorely disappointed in the way that this law, with its good goal, has been abused by environmentalists, both in and out of our Government, who use this law not to protect wildlife and endangered species, but to control the use of lands. I believe the professional environmentalists have taken an extreme position on this bill, favoring beetles and their habitat over the protection of human life, property, and environment.”