Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman for her perspectives. Certainly, a number of those points I agree with--the value of the bats--as chairman of the Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee. In agriculture, bats serve a very important purpose. I also agree with her premise, although I think her interpretation of what the science is is somewhat misguided. The science is extremely important, and the science has shown, in fact, the agency responsible for oversight on the Endangered Species Act has publicly acknowledged, that any job-crushing restrictions on industries related to habitat under an endangered listing with these bats will not help the northern long-eared bats. The threat really is going to an endangered listing which would do that. I would agree that the Fish and Wildlife Service needs resources and, quite frankly, they are getting those. Just last week they released $1 million toward studying the white-nose syndrome. Within this underlying bill, I believe there is an amount of $10 million to study the white- nose syndrome. It is a fungus. It is not habitat, and it is not the industries that work within those habitats. And so, quite frankly, we need to give the Fish and Wildlife Service what they need, and that is the support that they have already, that they released last week through many grants throughout many States, and the underlying $10 million in this underlying bill. I would just ask for support of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.…”