Joe Neguse

The status quo is absolutely unacceptable, and it should be unacceptable to all of us.

Immigrants make our country better.

Now, I think we also almost all agree that the Great American Outdoors Act was a great development.

So, we can talk here about deferred maintenance, but we are only repeating the problem by our appropriations decisions.

I think the first observation is that the reason we are talking about deferred maintenance is because we deferred it to start with, and that is a result of chronic underfunding of the National Park Service over a long, long period of time.

The $433 million in budget cuts that have been proposed by my Republican colleagues.

I certainly agree that oversight of this program's implementation is and should be a priority.

I certainly couldn't agree more with my colleague from New Mexico as she articulated the many benefits of GAOA, and the way in which the large-scale investments are supporting the ever-growing popularity of parks and public lands across…

I will say I would be remiss before providing some opening remarks if I didn't recognize my good friend from Colorado on his recent announcement regarding his retirement from this august body.

I appreciate every witness, your testimony today, both the written testimony you submitted and your oral testimony.

The lack of adequate funding for tribal forestry impacts public safety

I appreciate that they are with us here today. I look forward to working with my colleagues and, of course, Chairman Tiffany on finding ways to address that disparity.

Thank you, Chairman Tiffany. It is another busy week for the Federal Lands Subcommittee, and today's overview of tribal forestry is an important and welcome focus.

Making clear to the Congress... the unique funding needs and challenges

I couldn't agree with you more. I think it is a no-brainer.

The budget that Republicans have proposed for the next Fiscal Year contravenes that Congressional intent.

I want to talk a bit about the merger filing fee bill, which as you know we passed last year.

I wouldn't miss a hearing being held by Chair Massie.

It underscores the importance of making sure that we get this bill across the finish line.

We absolutely need to be able to bring more young people into the work that we do in the woods in restoration and in firefighting.

I have long been a champion of expanding and reinvigorating the Civilian Conservation Corps through a 21st-century CCC.

I am also very excited about the bill that Representative Stansbury has introduced, again on a bipartisan basis.

I am certainly excited about that bill and hearing the testimony on the same.

I could not be more supportive of both, and grateful to their respective sponsors for bringing them forward.

Thank you to Chairman Tiffany for his indulgence and to Members on both sides of the aisle for participating in today's incredibly important legislative hearing.