Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment that will reaffirm Congress' support for the enforcement of grazing fees on public lands. Grazing on public lands is a privilege, not a right. Ranchers who use these lands should abide by the law and pay their fair share. My amendment simply confirms that grazing permits or leases should not be issued to anyone who does not comply with BLM regulations. Mr. Chairman, revenues from grazing fees go toward the management, maintenance, and improvement of public range land. The mass majority of ranchers are upstanding, responsible Americans. They understand the importance of these efforts and pay their fees on time. But some ranchers are outright refusing to pay their grazing fees. That is completely unacceptable. To be clear, my amendment does not penalize people for forgetting to repair a fence or neglecting to make a payment once or twice. Instead, this amendment will ensure that egregious violations of grazing regulations are not financed by the American taxpayer. One particular rancher, who is well known to the media, continues to be more than $1 million in arrears. He has ignored the executive and judicial branches of our government, expanding his herds further on to Federal lands. While continuing to violate the law, he put the lives of local and Federal officials at stake during a dangerous standoff, for which he was indicted by a grand jury on charges including assaulting and threatening Federal officers.…”