Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 69, a bill to use the Congressional Review Act to repeal a rule issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service to restrict hunting within national wildlife refuges in Alaska. I would like to commend Congressman Young for his leadership on crafting this legislation and for defending his constituents' right to manage the wildlife in their home State. Mr. Speaker, the assertion that the repeal of this rule would allow unethical management and hunting practices is utterly false. Alaskans have hunted and managed their land for generations, and this overreach by the Fish and Wildlife Service simply impedes their ability to do just that. Allow me to read from the 2016-2017 Alaska Trapping Regulations, one of many sound management documents usurped by this bureaucratic overreach: ``Wolves and bears are very effective and efficient predators of caribou, moose, deer, and other wildlife. In most of Alaska, humans also rely on the same species for food. In Alaska's Interior, predators kill more than 80 percent of the moose and caribou that die during an average year, while humans kill less than 10 percent. In most of the state, predation holds prey populations at levels far below what could be supported by the habitat in the area. Predation is an important part of the ecosystem, and all . . .…”