Sam Farr: “Mr. Chairman, there is no problem that is broken that needs to be fixed. There is nobody opposed to the process of…”

“Mr. Chairman, there is no problem that is broken that needs to be fixed. There is nobody opposed to the process of getting this fence built. The problem with this amendment is you create a whole ability to have more lawsuits filed and you give a message that the environmental laws are not necessary. The process is working. In 2 weeks, the Homeland Security Office is meeting with the California Coastal Commission where they have laid out all of the road map for how to get it done. The fact of the letter that was just submitted for the Record, the Navy never asked that any of these environmental laws be waived. We built a fence around the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey by abiding by all the laws, including the Coastal Commission laws. So this is a made-up issue to try to get a recorded vote to show that, if you support the environment, you are for terrorism. Nothing in the 9/11 Commission report recommended this amendment. It is totally unnecessary. I would just tell you that the process is working and what you see in this amendment is trying to subvert it.”