Political Quotes

“I am trying to figure out where to start with this, because we are making progress. I guess the purpose of this amendment is to give this whole process a swift kick so we can actually do something that is absolutely necessary. The chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee really has it correct. And I want to read the language of the appropriations bill, which I happen to agree with this evening, but not the result. In 7 of the last 10 years, the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior have exceeded their wildland fire suppression budgets despite being fully funded at the 10-year suppression average for such costs. Fire seasons have grown longer and more destructive, putting people, communities, and ecosystems at greater risk. Fire borrowing has now become routine rather than extraordinary. Borrowing from nonfire accounts to pay suppression costs results in the Forest Service and Department of the Interior having fewer resources for forest management activities, including hazardous fuels management and other proven efforts, to improve overall forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildland fires. Mr. Chairman of the subcommittee, you have it right. You and your committee staff have done the right analysis but haven't completed the follow-through to achieve that goal. I see our good friend from Idaho standing nearby, and he has a very, very fine bill to deal with this. It would basically create two separate accounts.…”