Maurice Hinchey: “I am from the State of New York where we have a long history of protecting the environment on a bipartisan basis. As a…”

“I am from the State of New York where we have a long history of protecting the environment on a bipartisan basis. As a matter of fact, New York was the State that gave to the Nation Theodore Roosevelt, who more than any other person was responsible for the establishment of our system of national parks. It is also the State where Nelson Rockefeller was the Governor, a great Republican Governor, one who led the fight in the early 1960's for environmental protection and particularly in cleaning up our waterways with the New York Clean Water Act. Unfortunately in this Congress the sense of bipartisan responsibility and protection for the environment has just flown out the window. It is completely absent. However, later on this afternoon, we will see part of what can only be described as a great American confidence game, a con game. In a con game what happens is this, the confidence man or person tries to gain your confidence so that he can put a fast one over on you. That is what is happening here this afternoon.”