Haley Stevens: “I send to the desk a bill to set a bold standard for the conservation of wetlands based upon the Alaska model. I am…”

“I send to the desk a bill to set a bold standard for the conservation of wetlands based upon the Alaska model. I am pleased that my colleague from Alaska, the chairman of the Energy Committee, has worked so closely with me on this bill. It is a combined effort and I thank him and his staff for their advice and assistance. This bill, S. 49, comes after years and years of working for regulatory and administrative solutions to the wetlands permitting problems experienced too frequently by Alaskans. I worked with the Small Business Committee for wetlands reform when I was a member of that committee and I testified before the Environment and Public Works Committee when it considered reform of the wetlands program. Senator Murkowski and I, with our staffs, spent hours with the Environment Committee members on Alaskan wetlands reform during the 103d Congress. We sought improvements to the wetlands program, improvements that take into account the wetlands conditions in Alaska. However, the Clean Water Act was not reauthorized during the 103d Congress. The current administration even failed to propose meaningful reforms after again studying the Alaska wetlands problem to death. Today, Mr. President, we lay down our marker for Alaska wetlands regulatory program reform. We have exhausted other avenues. Our bill proposes the needed changes in the law and it is our reference point.”