Steve Israel: “tonight we make a historic decision about the preservation of one of the world's last great wilderness areas. And let me…”

“tonight we make a historic decision about the preservation of one of the world's last great wilderness areas. And let me bring my colleagues back into history, and share with them the words of a great former Republican President, Theodore Roosevelt. He said this: Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come after you. That is what President Theodore Roosevelt said when protecting the Grand Canyon. That is what he would have us do tonight. Opponents cloud this debate with a fog of unfounded assertions to the effect that opening ANWR will subject a wilderness to utter devastation. It's simply not true. We can develop ANWR responsibly. We can produce its resources within strict environmental guidelines that conserve the natural beauty we all want to protect.”