James M. Jeffords: “this is kind of bringing back memories to me here today. I remember fondly my first year in the U.S. Senate. After 14…”

“this is kind of bringing back memories to me here today. I remember fondly my first year in the U.S. Senate. After 14 years as a Member of the House of Representatives, I came to the Senate in 1991, excited to represent my State. Respecting the customs of this honorable institution, I worked to learn the rules and procedures of the Senate. It was not until September of my first year that I actually made a speech longer than 5 minutes on the Senate floor. During this first long speech--it was long, as many may remember, or maybe somebody remembers--I discussed the issue we are here debating today, that is grazing fees. At the time, in September 1991, I authored a grazing fee amendment that would have increased the fee from $1.97 per AUM, or animal unit month, to $5.13 per AUM, in 5 years. We did this in response to a similar amendment which passed the House overwhelmingly during that summer, which would have raised the fee to $8.70 per AUM. The amendment I offered in 1991 failed, and the House proposal was removed in conference. The primary argument against this first grazing amendment was that such a fee would have bankrupt many small ranchers. We revisited the grazing fee issue 1 year later, in August 1992. Again, we offered a proposal which would have required those ranchers grazing on Federal land to pay their fair share of its use.”