Good morning, everyone. This hearing of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry to discuss the National Forest management and its impacts on rural economies and communities, will come to order.

Forestry plays an important role in the rural economy. The forest product industry employs almost 900,000 people across the country not including jobs directly supporting the industry, and in 2012, the forest products industry had an economic impact approaching $190 billion.

These communities rely on us to be good stewards of these Federal lands. The people who live in those communities depend on well-managed National Forests to foster jobs and economic opportunity.

I mean, it amazes me that we discriminate against U.S. forest products and yet that program, which is a Federal program, promotes foreign products.

I appreciate your steps in that direction, that landscape approach.

It amazes me that we discriminate against U.S. forest products and yet that program promotes foreign products.

I think your testimony, as well as, Mr. Chairman, the testimony of other witnesses we have had on this issue certainly has been enlightening, in terms of the importance of helium, strategically, to this country and, whether it is technology, innovation, new discoveries and, appropriate for today, I would say important in the whole idea of love, as well, with Valentine's Day and balloons.

This has been obliterating, I think, to the Congress's oversight responsibility and, frankly, to jobs and affordable energy in this country.

I associate myself with my good friend from California and his comments.

We are talking about people's lives, income, and everything else, and that is the reason I am here, I care about people having the ability to wake up on Monday morning as an American and have a job.

I am very disappointed in the Obama Administration, even with notice, refusing to come.