John Doolittle: “I would just commend the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young] and the gentleman from California [Mr. Pombo] for their…”

“I would just commend the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young] and the gentleman from California [Mr. Pombo] for their leadership efforts in doing something to restore some reason, I think, to the laws of our country pertaining to this area. The ESA is something that has a legitimate purpose. We need to have a law, however, that is balanced and reasonable and effective. I would submit that we have a number of stories heard in testimony around the country and I have heard many of these myself as I have sat on the task force, on the committee, and we have held hearings, we have had a number of instances where this has proven not to be the case. It is one thing to talk about it in theory. It is another to be the private property owner and to have the big hand of Government holding a gun pointed at your head. That is what we heard time and time again from these private property owners who all of a sudden are forced with mandates from the EPA or the Corps of Engineers, or any other number of State and Federal agencies. It is just nearly overwhelming.”