Cord Byrd: “with final passage of the Fiscal Year 2001 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, I wish to take a moment to…”

“with final passage of the Fiscal Year 2001 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, I wish to take a moment to thank all Senators for their time and effort in helping to make this important measure a better product. As I have frequently noted, crafting the Interior bill is not an easy charge. Weighing the thousands of Member requests that come in to the Interior subcommittee against the limited resources made available to us is an arduous task, indeed. Yet, this year, as in past years, that job has been handled with great skill by the subcommittee chairman, Senator Gorton. My friend from Washington is, I can say unequivocally, the best subcommittee chairman I have ever had the pleasure of working with. His dedication to duty, his graciousness under fire, and his commitment to working with me in a bipartisan manner are simply unparalleled. Moreover, the fact that this legislation will be adopted by the Senate by an overwhelming vote is testament, I believe, to the incredible job done by the distinguished subcommittee chairman.”