Thomas Daschle: “I reluctantly filed that cloture vote last week because we are now in the third week of debate on the Interior…”

“I reluctantly filed that cloture vote last week because we are now in the third week of debate on the Interior appropriations bill as well as on homeland security. With all of the work that must be done and with all of the issues we must address, we simply cannot prolong this debate indefinitely. Seventy-nine Senators a couple of weeks ago voted for an amendment offered by the distinguished Senator from Montana, myself, and others responding to the crisis we now face in drought-stricken parts of the country. The regions of the country which are experiencing drought are growing--the Southeast, the Midwest, and the far West--areas throughout the country that have experienced drought conditions, and in some cases it is unprecedented. We also have a very serious situation with regard to firefighting, so serious that this administration changed its position from one which said we will not provide any new resources for firefighting--that all firefighting moneys that ought to be dedicated to firefighting this fall be taken from the Forest Service budget.”