Political Quotes

“Americans are tired of two standards: a standard whereby private citizens are treated one way and a standard whereby the Federal Government treats themselves in an entirely different way. Nothing is more apparent in this situation than where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers grants themselves one way of complying with wetlands regulations, yet they impose an entirely different standard upon our private citizens. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA go out and purport to be defenders of wetlands; good stewards of our wetlands. Yet the greatest cause of wetlands loss in the United States is actually caused by historic current and future actions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In our home State of Louisiana, we have lost over 1,900 square miles of our coast, and the majority of that land loss has been caused by the management or the mismanagement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of our coastal resources and the river resources, particularly the Mississippi River. Mr. Chairman, what this amendment does is it simply requires that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers comply with the same standards as anything else. If there are permits required, they have to get them. If there are mitigation requirements, they have to get them. They can no longer mismanage our coastal resources. This isn't a parochial. This is an issue whereby the Nation truly benefits from this. This is the area where fishery production occurs, energy production occurs.…”