Political Quotes

“I want to bring to Members' attention, and we have heard quite a few things from the other side of the aisle about all the scientists and sportsmen and everybody else who has engaged in this battle, and it is a very important battle, but I would like to read a letter addressed to the Secretary of Agriculture, Ms. Veneman, dated April 11, 2001. It says, ``The National Forest System supports a diverse array of forest and rangeland ecosystems and provides useful products, unparalleled recreational opportunities and other important amenities. Today, the ability of the Forest Service to conserve and enhance these attributes is increasingly compromised by obstructionist administration appeals and legal challenges of proposed agency actions.'' And the letter goes on to say scrap the 2000 and let us deal with a system that actually works. What we have heard from the gentleman from Washington, which I am in shock and awe that he would suggest that we stay with the status quo, as well as the gentleman from New Mexico, the proponent of this amendment, is they want a continuation of the same scientists that, in the gentleman from Washington's own State, 12 agency scientists got together in the Wenatchee National Forest and they said we have a great plan, let us put out a bunch of phony science here so we can lock up thousands of acres, put thousands of people out of work, maybe close down a few communities.”