Political Quotes

“I thank Senator Daines and my colleagues who have come to the floor and spoken. It was my intention to come and ask unanimous consent for the Senate to consider a 60-day extension of the Land and Water Conservation Fund in terms of its configuration. I will not be doing that. I think we are making progress toward unanimous consent in the Senate, which is the best way to get things done. So I will refrain from asking for that UC at this time. If we don't act now, this program which has been successful for over 50 years will expire today--tonight at midnight. This program has delivered on its promise to conserve and enhance our natural landscape. LWCF was set up for three reasons; No. 1, to protect areas within our national parks' and national forests' existing boundaries. Let me emphasize that--the existing boundaries. There are some who claim the Land and Water Conservation Fund is only to create new national parks or to expand our current national parks. In many cases we have in- parcels that have been owned by individuals and we have waited for generational change for the opportunity to complete that footprint of our historic treasures. The Land and Water Conservation Fund is that seed money to go in and match it with private dollars to get that in- parcel and buy it from a generation that also believes it should be protected. No.…”