Robert Smith: “This bill has been an accumulation of views over the past months from across this great country, and, as indicated by…”

“This bill has been an accumulation of views over the past months from across this great country, and, as indicated by the speakers you have heard already in general debate, this is widely supported in areas of the country that have no public lands. I am very appreciative of that support, because, again, this indeed is a Western issue, and, as some say, many do not have a dog in this fight. But many have stepped forward, and we have done it on a bipartisan basis. The gentleman from Texas [Mr. Stenholm], the ranking member on the Committee on Agriculture, has assembled a group of Democrats who are supporting this bill enthusiastically. So this is not a question of separating the West from the rest of the America, nor is it a question of separating one party from another, nor is it a question of separating environment from grazing. I think we have here a coordinated effort, as evidenced by those speakers who have eloquently identified this bill.”