Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, it is difficult to be debating two doctors on one amendment. I do think that one of the dilemmas here is that this amendment, like so much of H.R. 2406, the SHARE Act, continues the essential idea that we should be turning over decisions that have been made at the Federal Government level by the National Park Service, by the Bureau of Land Management, and by the Forest Service to State governments and even to local governments. This is not a debate on UTVs. I respect that automobiles and all kinds of transportation continue to evolve. Rather, it is the idea that we are setting a damaging precedent with regard to our conservation laws and regulations that again and again we are saying that, rather than taking a national perspective, we are turning to the local folks to decide what works best for the country. This amendment allows the State of Louisiana, not the Forest Service charged with managing the Kisatchie National Forest for the benefit of the American people, to determine where and whether it is permissible to chase down deer with motorized vehicles. These are thoughtful rules established through an open, public process. They seek to balance multiple uses and prevent abuses in our national forests. The fact that this amendment focuses on off-road vehicles brings to mind the illegal 2014 ATV ride through Recapture Canyon in Utah. That is the last thing we want to happen in Kisatchie National Forest.…”