On the recordFebruary 26, 2016
The great outdoors and hunting traditions of the United States are a way of life for folks all over our great country. Throughout our history, they have been championed by Presidents George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, and Teddy Roosevelt, who established national forests, game preserves, and national parks. The SHARE Act continues these great traditions. My amendment, which adds Mark Twain National Forest to the list of forests provided in the section, assures the residents of Missouri that no executive order, no executive action, or no bureaucrat sitting in Washington, D.C., who has never set foot on Mark Twain National Forest will write a rule inhibiting the ability to hunt or fish in our national forests. This amendment secures our freedom to be avid sportsmen. Folks in Missouri don't want an overzealous administration to be able to come in and dictate to the hunters and anglers of Missouri by executive fiat. Over 1.3 million Missourians hunt or fish, and many go to the Mark Twain National Forest each year. It covers roughly 2,331 square miles, 1.5 million acres, most of which reside in Missouri's Eighth Congressional District. I ask the body to support the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
