Earl Blumenauer: “I must admit that I find myself in modest disagreement with them both. I was one of those people that did not look at…”

“I must admit that I find myself in modest disagreement with them both. I was one of those people that did not look at the action, the attention, the interest by Secretary Babbitt as a noose. I feel, with all due respect to my Republican colleagues, that this administration has been moving forward to attempt to protect precious jewels of resources throughout the country, and I think appropriately so. And I have been supportive of their efforts; and, candidly, at one of our early meetings, I was there to just say I did not think that monument status was a bad fallback position; and frankly, rather than a noose of Federal regulation, I am not prepared at this point to go into some debate, but I will be happy to do it with my colleague; and I am sure we will have opportunities on the campaign trail, about the Republican approach to environmental protection, hard rock mining, what has happened with grazing areas around the country; and frankly I think the vast majority of the American public supports greater protection, including many of the monument designations.”