Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I am a proud member of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. In fact, I am a past co-chair. I am dedicated to protecting and expanding access to hunting and fishing opportunities throughout the United States. Sportsmen and -women are some of the country's leading conservationists, and I applaud their work to protect lands and wildlife for current and future generations. However, this bill before us today is not a conservation bill. In fact, it drives a wedge in the deep partnerships between sportsmen and -women and Federal land managers who have worked together for decades to identify strategies to allow hunting and fishing in ethical ways that help fish and wildlife populations thrive. Federal land managers have the authority and the mission to manage their lands in a way that contributes to the conservation of wildlife, and they must ensure that any actions that occur on the lands that they manage do not cause jeopardy to endangered or threatened species. This bill conflicts with the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, and other land management laws by prohibiting any regulation of lead ammunition or tackle, even when scientific analysis conducted under those laws determines that lead is causing a decline in a population of animals or is not compatible with the uses of the wildlife refuge.…”