Sam Farr: “Many of us came to Washington, came to this House hoping that we could better use the national resources, the national…”

“Many of us came to Washington, came to this House hoping that we could better use the national resources, the national treasure that we have to help preserve local initiatives in trying to build more livable communities. In thinking about it, I am sure my colleagues will agree that the most beautiful communities in the United States are usually the most economically successful. So economic development goes hand-in-hand with environmental protection or land stewardship, and this is the bill for the first time in history that allows this relationship to truly work. I am here to applaud, to thank and praise my colleagues. For the first time since the inception of the Land and Water Conservation Fund in 1965, these funds are now earmarked for the purpose they were originally intended. That means they cannot be used for other purposes. Historically, in Congress, every time we had another problem, we would dip into that pot and use those funds. This committee changed that, and I thank them.”