Jim Risch

the testimony here from Mr. Johnson lists 25 or 26 of the most diverse groups that there are that support this bill.

I promise public hearings mean something.

Senator Wyden, before you go, thank you for your work on, fire on Western acres. It has been a pleasure working with you on timber issues, and I look forward to continuing.

This bill is truly the work of the collaboration process to which a lot of people in this room subscribe and with which they are very familiar.

This bill takes into consideration as much as it possibly can, the diversity of uses and the diversity of habitats in a future that really protects this grand part of Idaho.

But I have to tell you I am not going to let that stand in the way of passing the bill with all the support that we have for it.

It is not about us. It's not about, you know, as Mr. Simpson has said, it's not even about ten years from now. It's about a hundred years from now.

You can travel all over the world, but you would always remember your trip to the Boulder-White Clouds. It is truly unique.

What this bill does is it brings need into the equation, and its need to be determined by the state public utility regulators.

the goal post gets changed, and we are seeing that. We see it over and over and over again, and it is incredibly frustrating for people trying to do business.

PURPA was enacted by Congress in 1978, and it was designed to increase our energy independence at a time when we were in a real energy crisis.

I know it is going to come as a horrendous shock to people in this town, but the states actually can make these kinds of decisions.

The playing field has changed since 1978, and that is what this is aimed at and it is aimed at trying to pick up some of the realities that are out there in the marketplace today.

I thank my colleagues for those kind words. I think ``tenacity'' is probably an appropriate description. I would like to have had a little more tenaciousness if it would have resulted in better and stronger language than we have…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 11, 2015, at 6 p.m., to conduct a classified hearing entitled ``Understanding the Commercial, Political, and…

I ask unanimous consent to add Senators Portman, Roberts, Kirk, Boozman, Sasse, and Rounds as cosponsors to S. Con. Res. 16. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Airland of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 11, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered…

I appreciate your efforts in that regard.

I do not think I need to tell you, but there is a lot of frustration out there that it is not moving as fast as we would like.

In today's world with the technology we have it would seem to me that that would not be that difficult to do.

There's a lot of us who are convinced that that's going to be the next big one that hits the country.

I appreciate your input on that.

That's interesting. I think most consumers really aren't fully aware of the challenges the utilities face.

I urge people to mentor the kids and get them out, get them away from their devices and get them out in the field to hunt and fish because this is really part of our culture in America.

Patience and persistence usually leads to success in the field.