Political Quotes

“First of all, I would like to agree with the chairman on his analysis of the Equal Access to Justice Act. It has been abused. As I mentioned before, environmental groups with well over $100 million in annual revenues are using the law intended to protect the little guy to siphon money from the American taxpayers. That is why my amendment is so important. By closing this loophole, we can uphold the intent of the law and ensure its continued efficacy. Furthermore, line 15 of the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act contains a carve-out for environmental litigation. My amendment is, therefore, both germane and critical to preventing attorneys in these environmental lawsuits from using the currently existing loophole to charge upwards of $500 per hour for their service. As my colleague Representative Huizenga has perviously pointed out, every dollar spent on litigation is a dollar that cannot go to protecting or restoring the environment. I also want to make clear that my amendment does nothing to prohibit groups from engaging in litigation or to prohibit repayments for their legal fees. The $125 cap already exists in current law. My amendment simply closes the loophole that environmental groups have used to exceed that cap. Once again, I would like to thank my colleagues for their efforts on this important issue. I encourage the passage of the Gosar amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. {time} 1530”