"the States have the premier authority in regulating mining operations, and yet they tell me that it is like talking to a brick wall with your Department."
"The few times when OSM has asked for the States for comments on draft documents, the timeframes they are given to answer are unrealistic, some less than 5 days to respond to OSM."
"The States, as I said, are primarily responsible for most of the regulatory work, but yet OSM is asking for a $5.5 million increase for itself and cutting the States' grants by more than $3 million."
"I have got 9,000 miners in my district laid off in the last few years."
"I have got able-bodied young men with families formerly making $70,000, $80,000 a year in the mining business now trying to find a job at McDonalds, unsuccessfully I might add."
"I wish we could free up that money for economic development to bring in the new jobs of this world that we live in today."
"The proceeds of that ought to be going back to those areas where it came from, but if it is only for reforestation, it would not provide that many jobs."
"So we disagree in the strongest possible terms with the agenda this administration has adopted for your regulatory programs."
"Each of these industries is fighting every day to manage the onslaught of federal regulations promulgated by the EPA."
"It's important that we get things right here in Washington. That starts with setting the right priorities in the budget."
"It is a sort of a mini industrial complex syndrome that has set in there. And we're going to have to guard against it every step of the way."
"After first denying it, TSA said it made a mistake and canceled its plan before ever taking effect."