Louise Slaughter: “Mr. Speaker, sadly, this fiscal year 2004 Interior appropriation bill marks yet another broken promise to the American…”

“Mr. Speaker, sadly, this fiscal year 2004 Interior appropriation bill marks yet another broken promise to the American people and a further betrayal of our country's environment. In 2000, this body adopted the historic CARA-Light Agreement, which authorized $12 million over 6 years for a number of vitally important land acquisition and conservation programs. That was truly an important day for this House and an important victory for the environment. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have played a part in building the support for that victory by sponsoring the amendment that restored funding for the stateside Land and Water Conservation Fund program for the first time in 5 years, but Mr. Speaker, I am not proud today of this Interior appropriations bill. In fact, this House should be embarrassed and ashamed that we would so cavalierly break our promise to the environment because it is more important to give tax breaks to millionaires. It is appalling.”