Political Quotes

“This amendment is a ``gotcha'' amendment. The substance of the amendment is misdirected, to say the least, and it ignores history and ignores the reality that we are in right now. That reality is that, when I began to get involved in this issue more than a decade ago, it was in response to discussions that I had with the Havasupai Tribe, with the Navajo Tribe, with the Hopi Tribe, and with other indigenous nations in and around the Grand Canyon. The consensus and the unity around the issue that we have to protect the Grand Canyon was important, not only for religious, cultural, and sacred reasons, but also for the fact that that is their home. At the end of the day, the vote today is a response to that work, to their advocacy, to their support, and to the input that they had on the legislation. It is a vote to affirm by this Congress that, indeed, the concerns that they raised are real and important. Mr. Chair, I would urge a ``no'' vote on the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.”