Political Quotes

“At this point I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), the ranking member of the National Resources Committee. Mr. DeFAZIO. I thank the gentleman. So when the Republicans passed their shutdown bill, did they not know it was going to close down the national parks? No, they knew that. But in their little bizarre echo chamber they thought the American people would rise and applaud their move to shut down everything that relates to the government. Instead, they've gotten a big raspberry, if not an invitation to read between the lines. They're a little bit surprised and shocked. Now, what did they leave out of this bill? Yeah, we'll reopen some national parks and other iconic places. They left out 155 national forests, 20 national Grasslands, seven national monuments, and 28 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers shut down. That's thousands of kids working hard to get an education, get skills, and not get thrown out in the street. Have you ever visited one? I've been there. I can't believe you guys would shut that down. There's 440 Wilderness Areas, 560 National Wildlife Refuge units, including locking out hunters and fishermen. Come on, guys--all BLM- managed campgrounds. There's only one reason this bill is on the floor, and it's because their constituents love iconic national parks and monuments, as the Republicans just learned, much to their chagrin. They can't take the heat from the government shutdown they're responsible for. What's next?…”