Thomas Daschle: “The issue is: Can we use the best information available to us to manage the Missouri River, to manage it in a way that…”

“The issue is: Can we use the best information available to us to manage the Missouri River, to manage it in a way that recognizes the sensitive balance that exists today--environmentally, industrially, agriculturally, recreationally? Can we take the best information we have available to us and put together the best management plan recognizing that balance? That is the essence of the question before us. I think it is wrong to say to the Corps of Engineers--to say to any Federal agency--we don't want you to look at the facts. We don't want you to look at the information. We don't want you to take into account that delicate balance. We want you to blindly follow whatever decisions you made in 1960--I might add, before even all the dams on the Missouri River were built--and we want you to follow that verbatim. We can't afford to do that.”