Jason Smith: “I support the Trump administration, but I also support our duty under the Constitution to make sure we tell the…”

“I support the Trump administration, but I also support our duty under the Constitution to make sure we tell the executive what to do. Ms. McCOLLUM. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Chairman, that is why I am confused, because this would be the Trump administration. The gentleman said, if I heard him correctly, Mr. Chair, that he would expect the Trump administration to be very judicious in using this. So I find this amendment is extraneous. It puts the same parameters on attorneys' fees under the ESA, the Clean Air Act, and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act that are already in place for attorneys' fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act. The Equal Access to Justice Act already caps the hourly rate of attorneys' fees, unless the court determines an increase in the cost of living or special factors such as limited availability of qualified attorneys for the proceedings justifies a higher fee. And it requires the party to be a prevailing party. Mr. Chairman, we don't need to add an extraneous, redundant provision to a bill that is already overburdened with harmful legislative riders, especially when I trust that the Trump administration would be very limited and very judicious in ever using this. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment. I reserve the balance of my time and my right to close.”