Political Quotes

“I thank Senator Conrad of North Dakota, and also thank Senator Nickles, whose staff has been working with me. Many Senators know last year we put a tremendous amount of effort in trying to get a bipartisan bill passed to get our forests healthy again. We have seen much of our country just devastated by staggering forest fires. A key part of that legislation was to authorize $760 million in hazardous fuels reduction programs. The amendment I have filed--and I will be asking the Senate to vote on it tomorrow--has generated interest among many colleagues of both political parties. It would add $343 million to last year's $417 million for hazardous fuels reductions to reach the $760 million authorization in title I Healthy Forests legislation. It seems to me what we have seen over the years is essentially a shell game, where various Forest Service programs are robbed in order to fund the hazardous fuels reduction programs and we end up without adequate resources across the board in the forestry area. I am hopeful we will be able to agree with our Republican colleagues on this effort. Suffice it to say, it was a Herculean task to get Healthy Forest legislation passed last session. I think many thought it was impossible. It seems to me the Senate owes it to the people who are waiting to see improvements in their communities to fully fund this important legislation. I am going to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this particular piece of legislation.”