Tom Cole

I think particularly if you look at the explosion of litigation over the course of a decade, it is hard to believe there is that much local issue, there is a national concern here.

I just want to be very careful as we go forward in this area, and I am just speaking for myself, that we not take away proven technologies or walk into litigation situations without meaning to on something that has been proven, used for…

It is literally in the neighborhood of 1 million wells. So this is not a new thing.

When tribes can control their affairs--their education system, their health care system--and individual tribal members know where the decisions are made, it is not somewhere hundreds or thousands of miles away, it is in their community…

I think that was a brilliant settlement. It was a great way to deal with a thorny issue.

I think the Secretary has brought us to the brink of closure and victory, and it would really be a shame if one part of the bureaucracy or Congress blew an opportunity to settle a case whose roots reach back into the 19th Century and which…

It is just very important, I think.

We could slide right back into litigation.

They are to be highly commended.

I appreciate the role that you played in sort of pulling the poison out of this thing.

I just think you need a little bit more.

But they got zero help out of Fish and Wildlife.

You did what two previous administrations, one Democrat and one Republican, couldn't do.

Count me in the camp that thinks it is not enough money.

It became almost unlivable, a health hazard.

I would ask you to look at that going forward, because frankly, it is hard to believe that all the increase needed to be in one area than the other two, but I am not surprised if somehow Indians did not fare well in Congress.

There are still lots of invasive species around the Longworth Atrium if you just keep your eyes open.

In the Omnibus Public Lands Act in 2009, we actually added several segments to the National Trail of Tears, national historic sites, spanned six states.

I do have some concern, again, I recognize you have got budget realities here, but the $44 million cut in construction is going to hurt a lot of these things.

We are not talking about some sort of takeover here. We are talking about a cooperative arrangement and negotiated agreement.

If you push production outside the United States, ... this stuff usually happens someplace else and usually happens worse.

I think it builds a lot of support for the National Park System because parks obviously are not distributed evenly all across the country.

I look forward to working with him and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to make sure that we get this historical obligation of the United States taken care of.

What I do not want to see is the parties caught in litigation that is literally generations long.

I commend you for doing it. I certainly will take you up on your offer--I literally would love to see this.