Political Quotes

“I am saddened to hear that Mollie Beattie died last night after a year-long battle against brain cancer. Mollie was the first female Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and served in that position until earlier this month. I wish to offer my condolences to her husband Rick Schwolsky of Grafton, VT, and to her mother, Patricia Beattie and sister, Jane Beattie, both of Ketchum, ID. I appreciated Mollie's honesty and candor with me and my staff, whether in public hearings before a committee or in a private meeting in my office. All of my experiences with Mollie were positive. While we didn't always approach a situation from the same perspective, we shared the common goal of doing what is right for species and people. When Mollie testified on the role of recovery in the Endangered Species Act before my Drinking Water, Fisheries and Wildlife Subcommittee last year, we found that the goals we envisioned for endangered species were very much in harmony. I agreed with her testimony that, "Recovery is the soul and the purpose of the Endangered Species Act." In fact, one of my principles of ESA reform is to return to the original intent of the act, which was to recover species. And on our watch, we have been making progress toward that purpose. Director Beattie was active in negotiations with Senators Chafee, Baucus, Reid and me on a number of bipartisan changes to the Endangered Species Act.”