On the recordFebruary 25, 2021
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, today we heard concerns from our Members, including Members most affected by this legislation. Tomorrow, we will debate amendments that include 15 new unrelated matters to make the total amount of bills in this one bill 23. This will make this bill three times worse after we consider amendments. I believe we have the responsibility to leave our environment better than we found it. We talk about the economy so often that many people think that we forget about the environment. That couldn't be further from the truth, we all breathe the air and drink the water. H.R. 803 would attempt to preserve our resources, locking them up and throwing away the key. Congress' focus should be on conservation and conserving these resources instead, using them in sustainable, responsible ways that every American can enjoy. Since we weren't given any opportunity to debate this bill in committee, I would like to remind my colleagues that this bill will harm the environment; it will kill jobs; it will limit access to outdoor recreation; it will hurt State water rights; it will imperil our national security and American energy independence; it will impede necessary forest management; and make us more reliant on hostile foreign nations. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
