George Miller: “it is interesting, because we set up a commission that is going to make these judgments. It is no skin off their tail…”

“it is interesting, because we set up a commission that is going to make these judgments. It is no skin off their tail, because all they are doing is handing out public lands and Federal assets to solve what they perceive to be a problem. So whether or not the claim is valid or just or what have you, it really does not matter to them because it is not coming out of their pocket. They are just coming, and if private parties injured one another or local governments injured one another, if the commission finds that to be the case, they just hand out a Federal remedy. They hand out Federal assets. It is an incredible process. This is like if the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) and I get into a fight, and whichever one of us loses, we pay them by dipping into your pocket. It does not make any sense. You were not a party to the fight. I can understand if people want to limit this to where the Federal Government was a party to the situation here, but that is not what this bill does. This bill makes the Federal Government liable for the actions of a lot of other people and entities that the Federal Government was not a party to. It is just incredible that we would allow people to go around and make a raid on the Treasury of the United States based upon actions that the Federal Government was not a party to. I thank the gentleman for raising that.”