Raúl Grijalva: “The manager's amendment has been categorized as a technical amendment. We are told the amendment is designed to clarify…”

“The manager's amendment has been categorized as a technical amendment. We are told the amendment is designed to clarify the bill, which is being sold as the answer to our Nation's economic woes. The bill is supposed to streamline government environmental reviews, and this amendment is supposed to streamline the underlying bill. Unfortunately, the only thing that is being streamlined here are the facts about NEPA. Mr. Chairman, the facts are not in the Republicans' favor. For more than 40 years, NEPA has ensured that federally funded projects are carried out in a transparent and cost-effective manner, while fostering public participation in the decisionmaking process and minimizing impacts to the environment. In fact, NEPA often provides the only forum for citizens to engage in major Federal actions that affect our health, well-being, and the environment. NEPA saves millions of dollars and is a tool for environmental justice. NEPA gave the confederated Salish and Kootenai tribal governments and citizen groups an opportunity to engage in the design of U.S. 93 in western Montana, resulting in a project that successfully addressed safety, environmental, family farming, and cultural concerns. {time} 0915 NEPA's success stories, where the process saves money and improves the quality of life for people impacted by Federal decisions, go on and on. My Republican colleagues tend to streamline these stories so we never get a chance to hear them.…”