John Hansen: “On December 18, 1995, President Bill Clinton vetoed the Interior appropriations bill which would have provided funding…”

“On December 18, 1995, President Bill Clinton vetoed the Interior appropriations bill which would have provided funding to keep parks, forests, BLM recreation areas open to the public. In a staged press conference, President Clinton surrounded himself with children and said that for the sake of maintaining clean air and clean water for the children, he would have to veto the bill. What the President failed to realize or point out was that the Interior appropriations bill funds the Department of the Interior agency and has nothing to do with the Environmental Protection Agency, which is charged with regulating the Nation's air and water. Rather than working with the Congress on resolving issues of substance, President Clinton has simply chosen to play politics. The bottom line is that the Clinton administration is using our national parks, forests, and BLM recreational areas as part of their strategy to thwart efforts to balance the Federal budget. The national parks, forests, and all other Department of the Interior facilities would be open if President Clinton had just signed the Interior appropriations bill. His public excuses for not signing the bill simply do not wash.”