Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to engage in a colloquy with the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Murkowski, regarding S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act, often referred to as the lands package, of which Chairman Murkowski is the sponsor and which is currently under consideration by the full Senate. In particular, I am interested in clarifying the intent of title IV, regarding ``Sportsmen's Access and Related Matters.'' This title of the legislation deals with--among other issues--the amount of Federal lands open to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. If I understand the bill correctly, nothing in S. 47 opens existing Federal lands to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting that are not currently open to those activities. Moreover, under this bill, those lands may be closed for reasons, including public safety and environmental protection, among other reasons. Is that a correct reading of the bill?”