Thomas Daschle: “The MRNRC supports the recommendations contained in the Biological Opinion as biologically sound and scientifically…”

“The MRNRC supports the recommendations contained in the Biological Opinion as biologically sound and scientifically justified. This plan is biologically sound and scientifically justified. I feel this as passionately as the distinguished Senator from Missouri. What happens when two people who feel as passionately as we both do, with polar opposite positions, come to the floor on a bill of this import, on an issue of this import? What I did early in the year-- and I thank my very professional staff, Peter Hanson, and others, and my colleague, Senator Johnson, for his admirable work on the committee in working with us, and perhaps most importantly, my chairman on this subcommittee, Harry Reid. I thank them all for their extraordinary efforts to work with us to try to find some common ground. Basically, what is in the bill is simply an amendment that says: Look, let's continue to look at this; let's see if we can find the common ground, with the depth of feeling we recognize on both sides. Let's not do any damage, but let's keep working. That is what is in the bill. Let's not make any conclusions, let's not insert that somehow the States have to comply prematurely. We already have invested 10 years. What is another year? Let's keep working.”