Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the amendment introduced by my friend and colleague, Ranking Member Dicks, and in opposition to the broader FY 2012 Interior appropriations bill. This bipartisan amendment, I believe, is critical to restoring the longtime commitment to protecting our most threatened species from extinction. The gentleman from Virginia is absolutely correct that so many of these species our planet actually depends on, and it is a symbiotic relationship that protects our environment. The language in the underlying bill to prevent any funds from being used to list new species under the Endangered Species Act, I believe, is shortsighted and only serves to punish a successful program for preserving critical habitats. And this language is just one example of the extremely harmful policies included in this bill. On the broader bill itself, and how it fails to help our economy and create jobs, I want to mention that in my home State of Rhode Island, our unemployment rate right now continues to be the third-highest in the Nation, at 10.8 percent. Right now we need investment in our infrastructure and in our resources to create jobs and modernize our communities. New England is home to some of the oldest infrastructure in the Nation, and it is estimated that our drinking water infrastructure needs will cost over $400 million over the next 20 years, and that our State has $1.16 billion in unmet wastewater needs.…”