The Public Record
Mr. Chairman, year after year we try to massage our conscience for the failure in education to address a lot of the problems of the arts and humanities. We spend billions of dollars there and we never mention this in the education budget…
As the gentleman knows, this committee has been extremely generous to the national parks. Over the last 10 years, we have provided an additional $515 million specifically for park-based increases. This bill includes another $55 million…
Mr. Chairman, relating to the operation funds, we hope maybe in the conference we will be able to provide more money, after we work with the Senate, for the Interior bill. But we have a letter from the parks director, and this is the…
I commend the gentleman. The San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, Florida, is one of the outstanding examples of parks for the east coast, and his effort is commendable. As the gentleman can appreciate, we cannot make commitments…
I share the frustration of many of those who have spoken on the Indian trust issue. I represent the eastern band of the Cherokee Indians. I have been taught and seen it over and over again, the old adage that government will mess up a…
You continually fight for the rights of Native Americans and you have persistently expressed to me the need to properly fund our trust responsibilities to the tribes. It has been a longstanding policy of this committee to fund water rights…
Mr. Chairman, I have to reluctantly oppose the gentleman's amendment. I do not believe we should prejudge on an individual basis the outcome of these competitive sourcing studies. As the gentleman knows, I have included language in this…
I agree that many of our National Forests do have unnaturally dense growth which contributes greatly to the extreme threat of catastrophic wildfire that our forests and communities face. Such fires pose a serious threat to the lives and…
I want to say at the outset we do not oppose competitive sourcing. I also want to say that this is not a limiting amendment. Section 335 provides that all studies that are currently ongoing for fiscal years 2002 and 2003 shall be completed…
Mr. Chairman, rise in opposition to this amendment. This funding limitation would stop changes to the National Forest Management Act planning regulations. This is a bad amendment, and that is the best thing I can say about it. National…
I oppose the amendment. The question is a question of States' rights and management of wildlife populations. The States have broad responsibility and authority over resident fish and wildlife, including fish and wildlife found on Federal…
we appreciate the gentleman and gentlewoman for their leadership on this issue of fowl mortality associated with electric power lines. We always want to save any bird possible, but this is somewhat of a bird-brained interpretation of what…
Mr. Chairman, today we bring before the House for fiscal year 2004 appropriations a bill for the Department of the Interior and related agencies. This is a good bill that balances many competing needs and stays within the 302(b)…
the gentleman raises a legitimate point. The Indian trust settlement language is an authorizing issue, but before I concede the point of order, let me point out the rationale behind this important provision. Last year, this House debated a…
I do share the gentleman's sentiments about the accessibility of quality care for our Nation's veterans. North Carolina has also experienced an influx of veterans in recent years and the failure of this VA pilot program is a setback in our…
The committee is very concerned about construction contractor performance and delays in providing the required work to the Architect within the specified contract completion period. Apparently the Architect has not been including penalty…
As my colleagues know, the 11th District of North Carolina, which I have the privilege to represent, has one of the largest numbers of senior veterans in the country. My constituents have served the United States in every war, and…
first I would like to thank again our staff and ranking members for the cooperation in the Legislative Branch bill. The conference agreement appropriates $2.53 billion for fiscal year 2001. Compared to FY 2000, including supplementals, the…
Dear Mr. Chairman: As you may recall, the Conference Report for the Capitol Police Fiscal Year 2000 General Expenses appropriations contained the following language: ``With respect to vehicles, the conferees recognize the need of the…
I commend all these young Members and all the people who have been working for a balanced budget, as well as reserve funds for social security and the efforts we have made. In fact, if the legislative branch, and I owe this to my…
Well, Mr. Chairman, I would tell my colleague that since 1995, my predecessors, the last two chairmen, have saved over $1.2 billion in this bill. Now, that is a savings trend established in the 1990 to 1995 period. In addition, the FTEs…
this is a sad day for our Nation, but, unfortunately, a necessary one. The President took an oath to uphold all the laws of the Nation. I recognize in that many respects the Nation has become a morass of regulations that have the effect of…
I, too, appreciate the tribute that is being offered to Congressman Riggs. Frank has been a good friend and an outstanding Member of this Congress. I knew he had courage when he joined our freshman year as a Member of the Gang of 7 to…
That was Frank, and certainly it was a tribute to Frank and to his district to return him back here, and he has been with us since. I think that is a tribute to the people of his district to see and to overcome the heavy spending and the…
In this year's bill we have appropriated $500 million more to the city than was appropriated last year. So we have not denied this city financially. It has always been a question of management, not money. In fact, every day you read about…
Politicians like Charles Taylor
