I think this legislation is so important to honor the faith of the men, not only the men who fought but our President, who offered that prayer.

The Secretary of Interior, Kenneth Salazar plans to deprive the people of this nation of 42 percent of all domestic source of uranium critical to the national defense.

In laying forth this plan, he is acting as a rogue representative of bureaucratic government--operating against the will of Congress, directions from the President, and in violation of federal law.

Our county is made up of hardworking, middle class Americans who rely on mining and service industries connected with the State, Federal and private lands on which we live.

We have an opportunity now to start to stop urban sprawl and to keep this part of Florida from going the way of many of the other parts of our state.

The only thing driving away our constituency is lack of jobs, sir.

Mr. Chairman, the Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act is simply an effort to restore an agreement...

OK. So it is not a proposal. The Secretary has decided to merge these two agencies, correct?

I would like to submit these letters sent to Congressman Tipton and me into the record to illustrate the broad level of local support for this popular legislation.

You pick and choose which laws we comply with and which ones we don't?

We believe strongly that the recent calls for a withdrawal of the area... violate the spirit of that 1983/84 agreement.

The proponents of the Arizona Strip withdrawal talk of stopping uranium mining in the Grand Canyon. This is a convenient, self serving distortion of the truth.

Saying that the Grand Canyon will suffer because of mines is a bogus straw man.

I do, however, hope that I can work with the Secretary to continue this work because I think it is so very, very important and meaningful to the people who served.

I believe that he is a true American hero, and I look forward to his testimony today.

So the Congress represents the voice of the American people, correct?

FDR Prayer submitted for the record by The Honorable Bill Johnson.

More importantly the question of whether the prayer is added to the Memorial should be left up to the men and women who the Memorial is dedicated to.

I believe that there are several areas within the memorial that would be suitable for the prayer's placement...

This potentially creates a serious national security threat going forward.

I think it is disingenuous for the Administration to say that this legislation should not go forward...

But to do that requires congressional approval because there are existing laws on the books, right?

Well, that is not what the law says. That is not what the law says.

Those words should be included among the tributes to the greatest generation, memorialized on the national mall...

I am actually quite terrified that we would mix mining with natural erosion.