Charles W. Stenholm: “I rise in support of the Neumann-Stenholm amendment to H.R. 1977, the Interior appropriations bill for fiscal year 1996.…”

“I rise in support of the Neumann-Stenholm amendment to H.R. 1977, the Interior appropriations bill for fiscal year 1996. First, I would be remiss if I did not commend the gentleman from Wisconsin for taking the lead on this issue. He is serious about deficit reduction and I am pleased to be a part of this small effort with him. Our amendment is simple; it is about budget priorities. Our Nation currently has a $4.8 trillion debt. Medicare, Medicaid, education, agriculture, and many other important programs are being forced to make painful cuts due to a significant reduction in their funding. Yet this bill proposes sending nearly $1 million to Africa and other countries for preservation of elephants, tigers, and rhinoceroses. The folks in my district tell me it is time that the Federal Government set reasonable budget priorities for their hard-earned tax dollars. While the preservation of exotic animals is a worthy goal, which I support wholeheartedly, I do not believe that sending $800,000 to Africa for this purpose meets the test of a reasonable budget priority.”