George Miller: “I would hope that we would oppose this rule tonight and vote this rule down. I do so because of the numerous areas in…”

“I would hope that we would oppose this rule tonight and vote this rule down. I do so because of the numerous areas in which this legislation seeks to legislate on an appropriations bill in violation of the rules of the House of Representatives. The rule provides for waivers so this can be done, but what in fact this means is that we rush to judgment in a number of areas where the committee of jurisdiction has not been allowed to have the debate and to weigh the merits of the various proposals being put forth. These areas affect the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act, the California Desert Act, the American Indian Trust Fund and Management Resources Act. These are changes that were made in consideration with everybody on the committees of jurisdiction, and now they are seeking to change those without the debate and without the hearings. ... This is a dramatic step backward in time. It is a dramatic step away from science. It is the inhibiting of science.”