Bruce F. Vento: “Although I am here to celebrate and commend Congress for its role in protecting our nation's land, the Wilderness…”

I rise in bittersweet support of this colossal final budget package. This omnibus appropriations measure funds a total of $486.7 billion for fiscal year 1999. This represents the largest single legislative measure in recent history…

I would like to express my vigorous opposition to H.R. 1695, the ``Ivanpah Valley Airport Public Lands Transfer Act.'' Since this project could not meet the environmental or procedural expectations of the federal government to transfer…

The Wilderness Act plays a critical role in establishing common sense values and land use ethic for the management and protection of America's most scenic and ecologically diverse lands.

I think a well-crafted law on concessions here, very prescriptive, not leaving a lot of room obviously could present some problems to any administrator, including Secretary of Interior Babbitt or his successors. But most of these laws are…