Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, it is with some dismay that I have to address some of the comments that have been made by my good friend and colleague from Colorado. Unfortunately, through their own words, they are willing to throw farmers and ranchers--hardworking Americans--under the bus, for an ideological cause, something that we simply cannot accept in the West. In the Western United States, water is the lifeblood of our communities. H.R. 3189 codifies that existing right. The water grab that is taking place is not by this legislation but by the very Federal Government that our opponents seem to want to be able to protect and put in a position of authority over State rights and the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. As a sponsor of this bipartisan legislation, I support the rule on H.R. 3189, and I encourage an open debate because I believe the merits of this bill will truly speak for themselves. Federal attempts to be able to manipulate Federal permit, lease, and land management processes to circumvent long-established State water law and hijack privately held water rights have sounded the alarm bell for all non-Federal water users that rely on these water rights for their livelihood. The most recent case of the Federal Government's overreach and infringement on private property rights involves a U.S.…”