Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment, which would change existing guidelines and create a new categorical exclusion for managing vegetation along transmission lines that run across national forests and public lands. In order to advance the renewable energy future that the underlying bill moves us away from, we do need to prioritize transmission. That is why House Democrats worked tirelessly to invest billions in new opportunities that the Biden administration is currently delivering across America. {time} 1945 These investments are building out rural electrical infrastructure and will expand access to renewable energy to more and more Americans. Confronting the climate crisis also means reducing risk associated with transmission infrastructure, which certainly includes wildfire. However, this amendment is a bridge too far. There is an administrative process to establish categorical exclusions. That is the right way to get them done, not through a fly- by-night amendment on a largely unrelated piece of legislation. The amendment also sets up unrealistic approval timelines, deeming a permit approved if an agency has not responded within 60 days. We all know that Federal land management agencies are understaffed and underresourced. The solution is investing in the workforce and building out agency capacity, not creating unworkable timelines designed to ultimately be ignored. This amendment, however, is not the answer.…”