Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the DeGette amendment No. 456. This amendment would add the text of the so-called Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act which would actually damage our environment and kill jobs in rural America. By the way, I don't understand really what this bill has to do with defense and why it gets made in order for the NDAA. This amendment creates nearly 1.5 million acres of new wilderness and designates over 1,200 miles of wild, scenic, and recreational rivers. For perspective, the wilderness designated in this bill is the same size as President Biden's home State of Delaware. Just days ago we reached the ominous mark of over 5 million acres burned nationwide. This is double the 10-year average and nearly three times the amount of acres that were burned at this point last year. One fire that has largely contributed to this total is the Hermits Peak Fire which is still burning in New Mexico as we debate here tonight. This fire, which is the largest in New Mexico's State history, has burned over 340,000 acres and racked up $278 million in fire suppression costs. This fire started in the Pecos Wilderness area which has not been properly managed and has significant fuel loads.…”