Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 297, offered by our Natural Resources Committee colleague, Congressman Case from Hawaii. This bill is the first step toward the creation of Hawaii's first national forest. This bill requires a study to identify potential parcels of land that could later be incorporated into a national forest that would help fulfill the National Forest System's mission. Hawaii is one of the few States without a national forest and the only State that has tropical rainforests. Hawaii's rainforests are among the wettest places on Earth. This bill would help inventory how best to conserve and expand Hawaii's unique forests and lay the groundwork for the establishment of a national forest. While I question my friends from Hawaii on why they would be interested in potentially giving the Federal Government jurisdiction over any land in Hawaii, especially considering the unfortunate state of our national forests on the mainland, I do urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.”