Political Quotes

“yesterday I introduced H.R. 1375, legislation that would stop the U.S. Forest Service from hurting hard-working, law-abiding ranchers that graze their herds on forest system lands. My bill would extend Forest Service grazing permits until the Agency completes its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act. Half of the Forest Service's 9,000 grazing permits issued on 90 million acres of Federal land will expire by the end of 1996. Some of these permits have already expired, and ranchers--by no wrongdoing of their own--have been denied their right to graze their livestock due to bureaucratic red tape. This is a punitive action and is patently unfair. The ranchers I know hold up their end of the bargain; they are good standards of the land, they fulfill their obligations, and they have every right to expect the Government to get its job done. They ought not be punished because our Nation's environmental laws are unreasonable and inflexible. My bill would extend their grazing permits until the Forest Service completes its NEPA documentation, so that no rancher is denied a permit because of bureaucratic delays.”