John Hope Bryant: “I urge you to use some common sense here and ask yourself a question: If this bill only relates to burned timber and…”

“I urge you to use some common sense here and ask yourself a question: If this bill only relates to burned timber and rotting timber, why was it necessary to suspend every single environmental law which applies to forest, to fish, and to wildlife and recreation in order to pass it? If it applies only to burned and rotting timber, why was it necessary to provide in the bill that it is OK to log and build roads in a wilderness area that is permanently protected? That is not what this bill is all about. This is no way to go about this. If you can make the case this is necessary, make the case in the authorizing committee. This is an extremely bad amendment. Finally, if it is such a good piece of common sense, why in the world is it necessary to put a provision in here that says this is OK even if we lose money doing it? What interest do the American people have with permitting the cutting of forests in a situation in which we are going to lose money. The fact of the matter is, we are suspending every environmental law, letting them log in the wilderness areas, and letting them sell this timber at below cost prices, which is a significant detriment to the American people. I strongly urge you to vote yes for the Yates amendment and oppose this extreme measure.”