Ken Calvert: “The committee, as the gentleman knows, has included this as a pilot program to test in a few States how community and…”

“The committee, as the gentleman knows, has included this as a pilot program to test in a few States how community and economic redevelopment can combine in conjunction with reclamation of abandoned mine lands. These funds will be provided to States with the largest unfunded needs to date. If you expand that to include six States, this pilot then starts to look more like a program, and that is not the committee's intent. The committee believes that the lessons learned from this pilot will inform changes, both pros and cons, under the reauthorization of the underlying law. I want to work with the gentleman in the future as this pilot moves forward. When we have more information, we can potentially, next year, reexamine this. I would ask the gentleman if he would withdraw the amendment. I would certainly be happy to work with him in the future. I know the full committee chairman is certainly in the interest of him to address the needs of his constituents. We are certainly sympathetic to that. I reserve the balance of my time.”