Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa). Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chair, I also thank Mr. Webster for managing this legislation for us here on the floor today. I appreciate it. I rise today as a sponsor in strong support, of course, of H.R. 1873. It is indeed a commonsense vegetation management bill that reduces forest fire danger possibilities and electricity blackouts, while cutting through the bureaucratic red tape in the process. I also want to thank my colleague Mr. Schrader from Oregon for his strong support in making this a true bipartisan effort for something that really should have no partisan roots at all. As we have heard several of my colleagues speak earlier in testimony on the floor here today, there are gross inconsistencies and impediments in the way the Forest Service and BLM manage transmission lines, particularly in the West, where many of these lines run through difficult terrain and dense forest. One electric utility in my district, the City of Redding Electric Utility, uses helicopters to engage in vegetation management along the rights-of-way on Federal lands. Such remote and forested areas make it especially difficult to effectively manage an area so large and dense. Rapid agency response is needed to help electric utility requests to conduct routine and emergency vegetation maintenance along Federal rights-of-way. It is absolutely essential to avoid wildfires and blackouts.…”