Steve Watkins

I stand before you today in full support of H.R. 728, the Small Watershed Rehabilitation Amendments of 1999. Most importantly, I want to stress to my colleagues why this piece of legislation is vital to so many rural areas of the United…

I would say to the chairman, as he knows, due to this year's budget numbers, funding was not appropriated for two additional projects I had requested for the State of Oklahoma. I believe these projects are vital not only for Oklahoma but…

I seldom, rise on the floor. It bothers me tonight that I see on both sides that we are questioning the motive of our members and hear words that are being used about our Native Americans. Yes, I am from Oklahoma, basically meaning the…

13 years ago I delivered the commencement address at my alma mater, Oklahoma State University. I entitled that speech ``International Trade: Opportunity or Destruction. Which Way America?'' As I stand before my colleagues today, we are…

Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York, because I know they had a very close relationship. Carl Albert had a working relationship across the aisle, as the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) stated. I was…

I would like to note to a lot of people who are historians of this House that also in Oklahoma, in the name of Carl Albert, there is a Carl Albert Center for Congressional Affairs there at the University of Oklahoma, his alma mater. I…

I have only 1 minute to make a point. We have lost over 100,000 jobs to oil patch in this country. We have lost equity. And I say to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Leach) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), that is the difference…

what is wrong with this picture? Today in America there is a total collapse, a crisis of survival for the oil industry. The small independent producers are going bankrupt every day bringing pain and hurt in oil patch. What is wrong with…

I would like to first and foremost extend my special thanks to the gentleman from Texas, the chairman of the Agriculture Authorizing Committee, for bringing forth this legislation and technical amendments. We know that agriculture is…

I rise to address the House this morning to bring the attention to a grave matter, an economic crisis in the oil patch of this great Nation. I like for my colleagues to realize if there is not changes made within the next four months to…

I serve a great deal of cattle people, and this debate seems like it doesn't even appear on this side of the aisle to be concerned about the United States cattle people. They are going through the lowest prices they have seen in years, the…

Fact: 96 percent of the consumers live outside the United States. Are we fearful of competing for that market? I want to make sure we do everything we can for our children and for our citizens to penetrate those markets by selling United…

I stand in support of the bill. I think we all need to be grateful from the standpoint of being able to balance the budget. One of the reasons why I returned to Congress, was to do anything I could do to balance the budget, and also to try…

I rise to support and ask my colleagues on both sides to support this. I believe it has bipartisan bill support and understands the administration supports it. In fact, H.R. 2314 rectifies disputes that have arisen over housing, medical…

in my 16 years of service in the United States Congress, I have never spoken twice one day after the other on the floor of the House. I rise to speak today because of the crisis of the American farmer and rancher. It is one that is caused…

I was in Bennington, OK, my boyhood home area July 4, and they are feeding cattle cubes and hay. That is at least a month to six weeks earlier than when we ever fed before, and that is eating up the financial equity. Equity they do not…

I would like to speak to my colleagues and also to the American people today from the heart, to have an emotional concern, not a political concern. There is an emergency on the family farm in America. Forty years ago I served as State FFA…

I rise to say that I agreed with many things that have been said by the minority side concerning this amendment. I would like to clarify some matters, though. I think emotionally some people get carried away. I know the gentleman from Ohio…

I rise for two reasons, one to express my support and how great a day I think this is for the American people, to realize that we finally have worked to where we are all in agreement in a bipartisan way to have a balanced budget for the…

I returned to Congress because I wanted my time to be effective. I wanted a balanced budget for the future of our children and our grandchildren. A future that would allow them to compete and succeed in a 21st century global economy. I did…

first I want to thank the leadership on the majority side, the Republican side, and also I want to express my thanks to the Democrats, the minority, for working out a bipartisan budget. I want to express to my colleagues in my 15 years…

I rise in support of H.R. 1463, and I thank the Speaker for allowing me the opportunity to come to the floor today as we debate this important legislation to reauthorize the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Customs Service and…