Political Quotes

“I rise today to introduce critical forest legislation for my home State of Oregon. This is legislation that I introduced in the last Congress. Unfortunately, despite making significant progress and gaining the support of the administration, my legislation did not get passed before Congress adjourned. But the need remains as great as ever and it remains one of the top priorities for my State. So today, early in this new Congress, I am reintroducing the bill and sending the message that this urgent priority needs to get done. I am pleased that my colleague from Oregon, Senator Merkley, has joined me today in introducing this bill. Like me, he recognizes the severe needs in our forests and in the forest dependent communities. For too many decades, Oregon has been at war with itself over the fate of its forests. Nowhere has the negative impact of this battle been greater than in Oregon's eastside forests. Over-logging and disastrous fire suppression policies of the past gave way over time to excessive litigation and gridlock. That excessive litigation and gridlock has resulted in millions of acres of Oregon's Federal forest landscape containing choked, overstocked stands that are at great risk of uncharacteristic catastrophic fires, insect infestations and disease. Controversial logging that holds the industry and the environment hostage to competing ideologies serves no one's interest.”