Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 471, the Fix Our Forests Act, which I am proud to cosponsor. As you can see, it will pass with bipartisan support. Over recent weeks, Americans have seen the devastating consequences of poor forest management in southern California. Unfortunately, for those of us who hail from rural America, this risk isn't out of the blue for us. It is a risk we face far too often, and that is largely because we are not doing enough to prevent it. Our hands are regularly tied because of the mess of bureaucracy and red tape that is preventing us from acting. Does the Speaker know what doesn't require a NEPA analysis or doesn't face a threat of years of litigation? It is a wildfire. Until we fix our broken regulatory system that is putting American lives and our pristine national environment at risk, we are going to continue to lose this battle. The good, bipartisan legislation that will pass before us today will help address this by bringing some sanity back to our forest management practices. Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this good legislation.”