Joe Cunningham: “previous speakers not only in this amendment but in other amendments have used the term antienvironmental extremists 11…”

“previous speakers not only in this amendment but in other amendments have used the term antienvironmental extremists 11 times. Doth us think that there is a little politics here? First of all, we feel that the President, a single individual designating land in violation of the law taking State lands and affecting private property is wrong, a single person, without going through the Congress. Even yesterday we had talk about a backlog of taking care of our national forests and fish and wildlife. Just like with the California desert plan and other things, the moneys that are going to be required to take care of these, we do not have. The only way to do it is increase taxes. We do not want to do that. Mr. Chairman, this map indicates the property that is controlled on the East Coast by the Federal Government. If I turn this over, this is the property in color controlled on the West Coast. What is too much? In Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, 70 and 80 percent of the land is controlled by the Federal Government. In California, over half the land is controlled by the Federal Government. What is too much? All we are doing is saying that if we want these parks to be designated or these national monuments, at least bring it before Congress. Let us have a debate. We may lose the debate. But at least bring it before us. Do not have a king with the sign of a pen designate land. That is all our position is. We think that that is a test of fairness.”