Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I also thank the gentleman from Arkansas, a trained forester, for his efforts to reform how we manage our forests. Montana faced a devastating wildfire season. Over 1 million acres have burned in our State. Lives were lost. Our livelihoods were threatened. Wildlife habitats were destroyed. We breathed the smoke as the clouds hung in the air. Earlier this week, the gentleman from Arkansas and I met with conservationists, the Forest Service, local leaders, and key stakeholders, including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. They all affirmed that litigation and an inability to inappropriately manage our forests are the problem that lead to severe wildfires. When catastrophic wildfires strike, we keep treating the symptoms-- suppressing the fires--and somehow think that the next wildfire will be different. We have to address the underlying issues. We have to reform how we manage our forests. We have to make our forests healthier and our wildfires less severe. We can begin that process today. The people of Montana need relief and a long-term solution. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill. The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Issa). The time of the gentleman has expired.”