Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, today is a very swampy day, and I am not talking about the weather. Today, Congress will pass a bill that is, frankly, a demonstration of everything that is wrong with Washington. The Great American Outdoors Act is a product of special interests, written not by committees, but in back rooms, full of special interest provisions, and now being forced through this Chamber without the opportunity for us to amend it. This is permanent legislation, yet we can't take an extra hour in the House to consider amendments to make this legislation better? Why? Because the special interests that have paid nearly $100 million in lobbying can't be denied another day from their victory. Well, I guess they got what they bought. Are we not allowed to amend this bill because House leadership is afraid to offend the Senate? We can decide that the Senate isn't perfect, their product isn't wonderful, that the House can make amendments to make it better. Let's be clear. This bill is nearly nothing like the legislation introduced by the supporters in the House. The gentleman from South Carolina may think he has got a great win, but the repeal of the 100th meridian provision, which is in this bill, allows the U.S. Forest Service to steer millions of Federal spending away from his State. Like the Comptroller of the United States told us in December, left to their own devices, the U.S. Forest Service will spend 80 percent of their funding to the west of the meridian.…”