Norman D. Dicks: “This has been a subject I've been very interested in as former chairman of the Interior Appropriation Subcommittee where…”

“This has been a subject I've been very interested in as former chairman of the Interior Appropriation Subcommittee where we have to fund the efforts for firefighting, which are very massive. I have tried to work with the Defense Department. The biggest problem we face is that OMB, when you want to lease these airplanes--we're looking mainly at the C-130J here--lease them for firefighting purposes and then have them deployed with the National Guard in California or somewhere on the west coast, you get into the fact that if you try to lease them, the budget control people want to put the whole burden on the first year. This is why leasing has become difficult. We've got to work out a way to get these airplanes. The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentleman from California has expired.”