Richard Burr: “I wish to thank Senators Daines and Gardner for their critical support for backing this program. If there is only one…”

“I wish to thank Senators Daines and Gardner for their critical support for backing this program. If there is only one takeaway anybody has from anything I say today, let it be this: This costs zero in taxpayer money, zero. For those who are budget hawks, it is a great bill. In June, the three of us, along with some of our colleagues, convened in front of the Capitol to commemorate the 100th day until LWCF expires. It is unfortunate we are here today, less than a week away from its expiration, with no extension of this program. I believe we ultimately will win this fight because our colleagues know it is the right thing to do. As Senator Daines pointed out, the majority of the House of Representatives and the majority of the U.S. Senate is supportive of this. It costs zero in taxpayer money, and it provides so much at the State and Federal level. I appreciate my colleague's comments on public access. That is usually the focus of my LWCF monologues. Not a lot of my constituents are thinking about outdoor recreation right now; they are dealing with Hurricane Florence and her aftermath. As you all know, North Carolina recently experienced a hurricane of epic proportion. Flooding has reached record levels. People's homes and businesses are in disrepair, and flood levels continue today at dangerously high levels in some areas. Obviously, much of this is unavoidable.…”