Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I rise today to oppose the polluters over people act and the mining provisions that will make it easier for foreign-owned companies to pollute our lands and waters and destroy our Tribal cultural resources. America's 150-year-old mining law already fails to protect our communities from irresponsible mining. We see that in the thousands of abandoned mines that dot New Mexico and the West. H.R. 1 would only make it worse, threatening our water and, as we know, ``agua es vida,'' ``water is life.'' I am disappointed that the Republicans blocked my amendment to stop mining exploration on public lands if it harms our water, farmers, and Tribal communities. Do they not care about our most essential resource, our water? Indeed, some proposed mining projects are from subsidiaries of foreign companies like Resolution Copper in Arizona, which has ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Why are they protecting the Chinese Communist Party's subsidiary mining our precious resources? That mine would devastate Tribal cultural resources and threaten our precious water resources. I urge my colleagues to oppose this polluter over people act.”