Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6492, the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act, or EXPLORE Act, introduced by the Natural Resources Committee chair, Bruce Westerman, and my esteemed ranking member colleague, Raul Grijalva. {time} 1630 I am thankful for the dedication of this bipartisan duo to this legislation and the years of hard work which the chairman described in getting us to this point--the hearings, the input, the compromises, the openness to the ideas that were coming through this long process. I am also very pleased to be an original cosponsor of the bill as well. When I thought about the EXPLORE Act, I remembered a quote from President Jimmy Carter who noted: ``Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.'' Ada Limon, our 24th poet laureate just published the anthology, ``You Are Here,'' poems which place each of us in nature. These poems will be placed throughout our national parks. We are inspired by our parks because as she notes in her introduction: ``Because nature is not a place to visit. Nature is who we are.'' Nature needs our help sometimes, too, and that is where this bill comes in. Our national parks and public lands are treasures that belong to each and every American. These national treasures inspire awe in those who visit.…”