Sherwood Boehlert: “Mr. Chairman, the principal opponent of this amendment has just made a compelling argument to support the amendment. He…”

“Mr. Chairman, the principal opponent of this amendment has just made a compelling argument to support the amendment. He said his argument is not about the merits of the program. He said it is a good program, but he is concerned about priorities. So are we. So are the American people. The election of November 8, 1994, sent a clear, unequivocal message to the Congress of the United States. The American people want smaller, less costly, less intrusive, yet more efficient government. They want us to get our priorities in order. And guess what, they did not send us here to dismantle a quarter of a century of progress in important, sensitive, environmental legislation. Who are the principal stewards of our land? Our farmers, agriculture. This is our greatest opportunity to do something meaningful to protect our environment. When we want to talk about water quality, are Members not all concerned, as we all should be, when in one of the premier cities of America, Milwaukee, in December 1993, 104 people died because they drank the water from a public water system? That is a cause for concern. If we can do something in just a small way here in this House to prevent that from happening in the future, that is a job well done. The sportsmen of America, the environmentalists of America, the farmers of America support this amendment because it makes sense for America.”