Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, first of all, perhaps most importantly, I want to commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney) for his leadership in being the principal architect and author of this legislation to reauthorize and improve the Clean Lakes Program. This bill will help restore and protect our Nation's 41 million acres of fresh water lakes by reauthorizing the EPA Clean Lakes Program. The bill authorizes $250 million of grants to help States clean up their lakes, and it increases to $25 million the amount to help States mitigate against the harmful effects of acid mine drainage and acid rain. This legislation restores this important program and places a national focus and a priority on our lakes. It allows funds to solve the wide range of problems impairing our many lakes. Very importantly, Mr. Chairman, it relies on locally-based solutions involving restoration, rather than new Federal regulations.”