Peter Visclosky: “I would like to actually talk about the bill, and I would like to talk about the underlying merits of what Mr. Hobson…”

“I would like to actually talk about the bill, and I would like to talk about the underlying merits of what Mr. Hobson and I and the members of the subcommittee and the full Appropriations Committee have tried to do. In this particular title, we are talking about the Bureau of Reclamation, and we are talking about people's health and well-being. Part of that does include the wise stewardship of the moneys that are provided. From the debate that has taken place today, you would think that the only thing we are worried about is spending money and worried about the quantity of the money that we are spending as opposed to the quality of the underlying act and the work that the agencies do. And I would draw, Mr. Chairman, my colleague's attention to page 48 of the report that goes into great detail, and I am going to read it. The gentleman has an amendment before us to cut $1.236 million from the bill. And the fact is, over the last several years our subcommittee, under the leadership of then-Chairman Hobson, as well as myself, have done everything possible to make sure that the moneys being spent by the Bureau of Reclamation are being spent wisely.”