Angie Craig: “I appreciate the frustration the assistant leader is going through at this moment trying to resolve an issue on the…”

“I appreciate the frustration the assistant leader is going through at this moment trying to resolve an issue on the Interior appropriations bill about which he and I are concerned and move it forward and at the same time move homeland security forward. Today we have worked to facilitate both of those bills, and I have encouraged the majority leader and the assistant leader to allow a vote on my amendment, which is pending on the Interior appropriations bill or, if not, a stand-alone vote, and then to allow a side by side, with their alternative, by a majority vote of either. That is not what they apparently want to do at this moment. I do not want to see the Interior appropriations bill laid aside. We have critical fire money in the bill. We have critical drought money in the bill for agriculture. The Interior appropriations bill is very key to my State. At the same time, we must bring this Senate together on some way of dealing with the crisis in our forests today that has resulted in devastating fires across the West. I feel very strongly about that.”